Bea's Book Nook: Review of Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Review of Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner

Publisher: Clarion Books
Format Read: Hardcover
Source: My local library
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository*
* affiliate link; the blog receives a small commission for purchases made through this link.

Blurb from goodreads:

In a near wordless masterpiece that could only have been devised by David Wiesner, a cat named Mr. Wuffles doesn't care about toy mice or toy goldfish. He’s much more interested in playing with a little spaceship full of actual aliens—but the ship wasn't designed for this kind of rough treatment. Between motion sickness and damaged equipment, the aliens are in deep trouble. When the space visitors dodge the cat and take shelter behind the radiator to repair the damage, they make a host of insect friends. The result? A humorous exploration of cooperation between aliens and insects, and of the universal nature of communication involving symbols, “cave” paintings, and gestures of friendship.

Bea's Thoughts:

This is a very cute book. Wiesner's illustrations are wonderful and he really knows cats. The facial expressions and body language are dead on. I laughed at the beginning when Mr. Wuffles walks past his toys, ignoring them. My cat has little interest in store-bought toys, preferring ribbon, my coat's drawstrings, paper, boxes, and peacock feathers, and Mr. Wuffles appears to be the same.

As Mr. Wuffles ignores the newest toy that his human has bought him and strolls past his line of ignored toys, a new one catches his eye. He plays with it, rubs his chin on it and has a grand old time with the new toy before falling asleep. It's a small silver sphere that is actually a miniature spaceship containing aliens. Their ship is damaged and needs repairs. When Mr. Wuffles falls asleep, they leave the ship, hoping to find supplies. But then he wakes up and chases them. They escape and take refuge under a radiator where they meet the local ants and a ladybug. The walls of their home have cave style paintings of the cat being hunted by the bugs and the aliens realize they may have found allies. Together, the aliens and the insects manage to communicate and work together to fix the ship. But will the aliens make it safely back to the ship and be able to take off before Mr. Wuffles gets them?

Children and adults will enjoy the artwork, the story, and the messages of communication and cooperation. The story is told via pictures with three short sentences at the beginning of the story and then at the end. Children will enjoy telling the story their way and the pictures are sufficiently detailed to keep their interest without overwhelming them. "Mr. Wuffles" is a cute, fun story that will be enjoyed by most.