Waking Up Wendell

Starred review from September 3, 2007
Stevens, author of a novel for adults (Angel, Angel
), endows her imaginative debut picture book with well-developed characters, plenty of noise and enough humor to keep readers wanting more. Beginning with the “ta-ta-ta tweeeeeet!” of a small bird, sounds travel from one house to the next, awakening the porcine denizens of Fish Street in a domino effect. The bird rouses Mr. Krudwig at #2 Fish Street, his dog Leopold disturbs Mrs. Musky at #3 Fish Street, and her whistling teapot flusters the tardy kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Depolo at #4 Fish Street, and so on. Hills's (Duck & Goose
) witty watercolors depict action and facial expressions with equal ease, and they target both children's and adults' sensibilities. For the seven Darjeelings, who sleep together in a huge bed and whose cat wakes them by repeatedly slamming the screen door, he offers a frontal view of the glassy-eyed family, all with identical helpless stares; their nightstand contains the books Whose Bed Is It Anyway?
and Train Your Cat
. Especially delicious is his characterization of Mrs. Depolo as she literally “throws on her clothes, races down her stairs, and dives out the door.” The story could easily do double-duty as a counting book, and with its punchy prose, unexpected plot turns and surprisingly sweet ending, it's a cinch for a read-aloud treat. Ages 4-8.

September 1, 2007
PreS-Gr 2-It's morning on Fish Street. A bird that lives outside #1 wakes up the occupant of #2 with its "tweeet-ta-ta-ta-tweeeeet." Then the dog from #2 barks and wakes up Mrs. Musky at #3. At each home there is a unique sound until finally little Wendell in his crib at #10 wakes up"weeeeeee!" The onomatopoeia is delightful. The screen door goes "wack-slam" and the sewing machine goes "wug-a-ta." The sound words are typeset to sweep across the pages and lead readers on to the next scene. All of the "people" on Fish Street are pigs, and each one has a unique personality and an often humorous morning routine. Children will chuckle at Mrs. Musky, who "heads into her bathroom to get her hair under control," and Mr. Wink, who "moves slowly, like honey pouring from a jar." Hills's bright oil paint and colored pencil illustrations, done with simple lines and contrasting colors, enliven the text and add extra humor. This picture book is both a clever and original counting book and a great read-aloud."Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2008
Early in the morning at one end of Fish Street, a bird begins singing, which starts a chain reaction of noises (whistling teakettles, screeching brakes, slamming doors, ringing telephones) that eventually awakens baby Wendell at the far end. The various inhabitants of Fish Street are endearingly portrayed (as pigs); both text and art are full of energy, movement, and variety.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)