Waddles

by David McPhail

Waddles by McPhail, David [Harry N. Abrams, 2011] Hardcover [Hardcover] by Mc...

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Storytime, Family

Hardcover

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

David was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts and attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. While there, he began illustrating. He is now an award-winning author and illustrator of nearly 200 books beloved by children, parents and librarians across the United States. McPhail has garnered many prestigious awards, including a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year for Mole Music in 2001. McPhail’s other books include First Flight, which the New York Times praised as “hilarious and helpful”; and Lost!, which was chosen as an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists.

McPhail has four children, three stepchildren, and is a proud grandfather. He is married to Jan Waldron, with whom he has written and illustrated several books. He lives in Rye, New Hampshire.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A plump little raccoon named Waddles enjoys his life by the pond, digging in the nearby trashcan for food and playing with his best friend, Emily the duck. When Emily asks him to look after her eggs for a minute, while she takes a dip, Waddles agrees, and is there for the key moment when her ducklings hatch. Now part of a large family, our procyonine hero is immensely happy. Until, that is, autumn comes and the ducklings must fly south. Will Waddles ever see his adoptive family again...?

Although there is never much doubt that this sweet animal story will end well, young children will undoubtedly still enjoy seeing Waddles get his well-deserved happy reunion. A gentle tale, one divided into four sections that correspond to the four seasons, Waddles pairs a heartwarming story with cute-as-a-button illustrations. McPhail's artwork here is quite expressive, capturing its eponymous hero's changing emotional state quite well. Recommended to young animal lovers, and to anyone looking for picture-books about raccoons, ducks, friendship, and/or the seasons.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one didn't really wow me, but it's a cute enough little story about friendship, changing seasons, and could be a good one for kids who have friends or family members who must go away for a time but then come back.

[Audreona Ferren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a raccoon named Waddles. He waddled like a duck because he spent so much time with his best friend Emily, who was a duck. Emily would spend time with Waddles while he went through trashcans for food. One day, Emily couldn't go out with Waddles because she had laid her eggs. Waddles offered to go out and find her food and bring it back to her until she was able to go out again. Then, one day Emily wanted to go for a swim. So, Waddles offered to sit on her eggs and keep them warm while she went swimming. As Waddles warmed the eggs, a sneaky fox came to try and take the eggs. However, Waddles had promised Emily he would protect the eggs, so he didn't budge. After the eggs had hatched, Emily and her duckling had to fly south for the winter.

I thought this book was very cute! I thought the illustrations were cute and eye-catching. I loved that the book included so many examples of loyalty and great friendship.

I think this book could be used when discussing seasons during the year. The book switches through the four seasons of the years. Also, the book includes several situations about being a good friend and being loyal. That could also be another lesson taught from this book.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waddles like to waddle. So does his friend, Emily. But, Emily is a duck and Waddles is a raccoon. Emily eats bugs and Waddles hunts for half-eaten food in the trash. Still, they are friends. In the spring, Emily lays eggs...Waddles helps her keep them warm and safe, he even sees them hatch. In the summer, Waddles enjoys napping with his friend Emily and their family ducklings. The weather gets colder and Emily and the ducklings must migrate, leaving Waddles alone. Will Waddles make it through the winter without his friend and family?

Great story. I appreciate the organization of the text. Illustrations are detailed, expressive, and compliment the story well.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple story of friendship, time between seasons moves to slowly or to quickly needed to be a little more even.

[Lulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute. Highly enjoyed it. Waddles is a cute name for a fat raccoon lol and his ducky friends are cute as well.

[Lashunda Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is about a raccoon named Waddles who helps his best friend Emily the duck raise her ducklings. When winter arrived Waddle was lonely because his best friend had to leave and fly south. Changing seasons can be talked about in the classroom for this lesson.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always hungry, that Waddles the Raccoon. At least, always hungry at the start of this delightful story.

By the end of this picture book, Waddles has found an important way to fill himself up.

And, as always with David McPhail, all the drawings are splendid.

[Valleri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an adorable story of friendship between a duck, her ducklings, and a raccoon named Waddles.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

April 2019. Both boys enjoyed this story.

[Lilly Hearn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waddles is very cute and so are all the other illustrations!

[Norkett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice story through the seasons about the emotions that come with friends who temporarily migrate.

[Jane Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story, and of course, few children's books get many stars from me without lovely illustrations.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty cute. It went differently than I expected, but in ways that were better.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Attractive book with adorable animal characters.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story and illustrations, though I was sad during the winter. It would have made me cry as a child.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute. The kids loved it so much, and the illustrations inside are prettier than the one on the cover.

[Wendelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

a picture book by David McPhail, my favorite children's illustrator, depicting a fat and cuddly raccoon, my favorite animal? This goes straight to my favorites shelf

[Aleks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet.

[Ruth Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

he walks like a duck
he talks like a duck
he's a raccoon named waddles

[Lana Harriman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal reflection – This is a seemingly simple book about an unlikely friendship between a raccoon and a duck. But upon reflection, there is really a grand message about where true happiness and a sense of fulfillment in life come from. Sometimes we can try to fill the missing pieces in our lives with garbage. This is what Waddles, the raccoon, has been doing. He loves to eat and thinks that is what makes him happy. He eats so much though that this is how he got his name, Waddles. Children will enjoying following these two characters through the course of a year and seeing how their relationship evolves.

Purpose – 1st – 2nd grade level - read aloud or read-to-self
Curriculum - This would be a great book for incorporating when teaching a lesson on the changing seasons and the winter patterns of different animal species. It is also a nice story for elaborating on unlikely friendships, the value of helping others, and the importance of finding true happiness in family and friends and not with material things, food, or junk. There are some strong descriptive words that will stimulate growth in young readers and listeners, words like, hesitated, preferred, and glimmering. A lesson on how an author uses personification of animals could be taught with this book as both, Waddles the raccoon and his pal, Emily the Duck, talk all throughout the story.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable pictures of Waddles the Raccoon & his friend Emily the Duck w/her ducklings. I don't know, maybe I missed the point but when Waddles helps Emily by keeping her eggs safe & warm, I just felt it needed to be mentioned that ordinarily a raccoon would steal & EAT eggs, & how his changed behavior grew out of his deep fondness for his friend.
I also had a hard time with Waddles hanging out all winter feeling lonely when the Ducks had flown south because in the real world Raccoons semi-hibernate thru the winter. Why not use a little more teaching in this adorable book? IMO a little more thought given to the wording of this beautifully illustrated picture-story book would have made it a 5-star winner. Still, I'd recommend it, but would hope an adult reading it with a child would fill in the gaps with a bit more realism. Kids like to learn, so use their interest to teach all you can! :)

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminded me of many favorites. It's set up like City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems in that the story takes place over the course of a year and events are marked by the seasons. It also reminds me of Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss in that the raccoon sits on the ducks nest for her while she enjoys a swim. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White comes to mind when the ducklings befriend the raccoon as Charlotte's children befriended Wilbur. Don't Worry Bear by Greg Foley also springs to mind when the raccoon brings the duck food etc while she's sitting on the nest like Bear worried about Caterpillar being scared of the dark, lonely etc while in his cocoon. Overall, this was a good book. Great illustrations, a little on the long side for a storytime, but definitely worth recommending or displaying.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waddles is a rather portly raccoon who's best friend is Emily the duck. They stick together even when Emily has to sit on her nest of eggs. Waddles offers to sit on the eggs for awhile so Emily can have a swim. While she's gone, Waddles protects the eggs from a marauding fox and is rewarded by 5 hatched eggs. Five ducklings join Waddles in the water to meet up with their mother Emily. For 3 seasons Waddles watches the ducklings grow. Finally winter arrives and the whole duck family must fly south for the season. Waddles is very sad. But he continues to look for food and enjoy the snow. Finally the full grown duck family returns and so does Waddles' smile.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked this book up at the library, I thought it was a story about a duck. I hadn't looked at the title. When I found out that Waddles was a raccoon, I was intrigued. The story travels through the four seasons with Waddles and his friend Emily, the duck. This story reminds me of City Dog, Country Frog with the unusual friendship and the use of four seasons to tell the story. The two books would work well together as a theme on friendship and its longevity.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - Waddles is a special little tale of friendship that any kid will surely enjoy. Julia and I both loved the use of the seasons - especially winter when Waddles was at his lowest - and there and numerous special parts throughout the story.
The trust between Waddles and Emily is very strong throughout and it stares the readers - even young ones - right in the face. I'd recommend for readers around Julia's age and slightly younger. (She's almost 6 years old.)

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story of a friendship between a raccoon and a duck. The raccoon helps the duck out while she is sitting on her nest by offering to keep her eggs safe while she takes a quick swim. While she is away the eggs hatch and the raccoon (Waddles) have five new duck friends. The story arcs through the seasons with the ducks leaving for winter, but returning in the spring.

Nice illustrations.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waddles has a best friend Emily that is a duck. They do a lot of things together and as she is sitting on her nest he helps her out so he gets five more friends. Through the seasons they all have fun together. BUT when the ducks have to go away for the winter Waddles is very sad and doesn't enjoy anything else; but when the season changes back his friends all come back. A very cute book about friendship.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waddles (the cuddly, pudgy raccoon) goes through the seasons with his best friend, a duck named Emily. Good for changing seasons and migration lesson, good for friendship lesson (in a Horton-esque section, Waddles agrees to sit on Emily's eggs for her, and even when he's threatened by a fox, Waddles keeps his promise to protect the eggs), and even cute for a duckie theme.

[Kim Patton · Rating 3 out of 5]

An adorably illustrated picture book about a raccoon named Waddles and his friend, Emily the duck. This book goes through the seasons that Waddles & Emily experience together, starting in spring. Emily lays eggs, Waddles helps protect them. Eventually the baby ducks hatch & grow, but when winter comes the ducks fly south. Waddles misses them until they return the next spring.