Whatever

by William Bee

It takes extreme measures to get a response out of the stubbornly indifferent Billy in a wry little tale that readers of all ages will surely relate to.

Billy can be very difficult to please. Show him something very tall or very small, and he'll say, "whatever." Let him play inside the bounciest castle, and he'll shrug and say, "whatever." Take him for a ride in the smokiest train or the speediest spaceship — it doesn't matter. Billy's reaction is always the same. What might the surly boy say if a hungry tiger came by and his nonchalant dad gave Billy a taste of his own medicine? William Bee's quirky illustrations give an amusing new spin to a familiar scenario that will have both children and adults laughing in recognition.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Humor, Family, Kids, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 11, 2005

About the author

William Bee was born in London but now lives in the English countryside. In addition to writing children’s books, he races a vintage sports car, is an international skier, and when at home tends his lawns and meadows.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little boy who is hard to please...this book will help children understand that parents really do try to make them happy - but happiness is a two way street.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHATEVER!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Billy can be very difficult to please.” Well, that’s an understatement. In this picture book, all that ever comes out of Billy’s mouth is, “Whatever.” Billy’s dad spends the length of the book trying to get some sort of reaction out of Billy. He shows him something very tall, and something very small. He shows him the world’s smokiest train and the world’s curliest trumpet, and even flies with Billy to the edge of outer space. “Whatever,” Billy keeps saying. Then, Billy’s dad tries to scare him with the world’s hungriest tiger and, well… I won’t give away the ending. But even if you think you can guess what happens, I’m sure the ending will still make you smile. I love this book! I also have to wonder if William Bee got his inspiration from Maurice Sendak’s Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue. I read Pierre when a friend of mine recalled reading it when he was young. I’d never heard of it, but was interested because of the author. Published in 1962, the library’s copy isn’t so pretty anymore, but the story hasn’t lost its charm. For everything Pierre’s parents try to do to please him, all he will say is, “I don’t care!” And just like Billy, Pierre has a little encounter with a lion. Both of these books are great for a chuckle.

[Youth Services · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Billy can be very difficult to please.” Well, that’s an understatement. In the picture book, Whatever, by William Bee, that’s all Billy ever says: “Whatever.” Billy’s dad spends the length of the book trying to get some sort of reaction out of Billy. He shows him something very tall, and something very small. He shows him the world’s smokiest train and the world’s curliest trumpet, and even flies with Billy to the edge of outer space. “Whatever,” Billy keeps saying. Then, Billy’s dad tries to scare him with the world’s hungriest tiger and, well… I won’t give away the ending. But even if you think you can guess what happens, I’m still sure the ending will make you smile. I love this book! I have to wonder if William Bee got his inspiration from Maurice Sendak’s Pierre: A Cautionary Tale (1962). I read Pierre a few months ago, after a friend of mine recalled reading it when he was young. I’d never heard of it, but was interested because of the author. For everything Pierre’s parents try to do to please him, all he will say is, “I don’t care!” And just like Billy, Pierre has a little encounter with a lion. Both of these books are great for a chuckle.

EE

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

At one of my libraries, I had some VERY fussy and demanding parents attend programs and try to dictate what I should and should not do.

Oh, how I loved reading this book aloud at storytime. The parents hated it!

Whatever :)

[Shaimaa Fatani · Rating 5 out of 5]

WhatEVEEEEEEEEEEEEERE !!!

I love it I love it I love it

[Solange Vidal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Qué relato cómico sobre un niño difícil de complacer y hacer feliz. Las ilustraciones tienen colores uniformes y son llamativas, en especial la jirafa que está en horizontal. Perfecto para un niño de tres años que ya a su edad y con una pequeña explicación entiende el contenido del libro.

[Zoe Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a simple book which teaches children that is they are rude to others, others may be rude to them when they are in need of help. A simple but enjoyable book.

[Cassandra Gelvin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gets sinister at the end.

Wow. I was not expecting the dark turn at the end.

It's about a little boy and his dad, and no matter what his dad tells him, or shows him, he says “Whatever.” There's a tall giraffe, a small butterfly, curly trumpet, bouncy castle, train, and they fly to the edge of outer space. At the end, it's clear that his dad's getting really fed up by this, and shows him a tiger, and the kid says, “Whatever.” And the tiger eats the kid, and then the kid talks from inside the tiger like things do in fairy tales. “Dad, I'm still in here, you know.” And the dad says, “Whatever.”

I'm not sure what possessed the father to try to scare his son with a tiger, and to actually let the father eat his child. I'm also not sure why the father doesn't care that the tiger's eaten his child. I guess it's saying that the father is so fed up with his son being nonchalant that he has stopped caring about his child's safety.

If you look at it from an adult standpoint, it is funny in the same way as “Go the F--- to Sleep”, where it's funny because it's not something you would read to your kids.

For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very humorous and readable tale of a young boy who is not impressed by much at all. When his father introduces him to a very hungry tiger he still refuses to show any interest. However when the tiger gobbles him up he cries for his father's help. Unfortunately, his father shows little interest in aiding his son.

A great one for storytime!

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exactly the kind of book I'd read to my imaginary child, but could never read at storytime. Someone would freak out, but my gosh it is funny. Billy is a hard to please child who always says "whatever" until he sees the world's hungriest tiger and tries to say....I'm sure you can guess what becomes of Billy.

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

I shared this with a "close to becoming rowdy" bunch of emerging 6th graders yesterday and they were so into it. ... it was hilarious to hear them shout .... "WHAT-ever!" along with the story.

It's very much like Maurice Sendak's Pierre, but with a more blunt ending.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great crowd pleaser for reluctant school-age story time participants. Simple story, simple pictures, unexpected turn and then a snappy end. I laughed my tuccas off the first time I read it. I can't let go of this book.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely am I able to find a book that my son loves that does not contain dinosaurs. Without a dinosaur, this book won my son over instantly. After reading it four times in a row, he had it memorized. We love it.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a charming book because it didn't try to be any more than it was. It was refreshing to see a children's book so simply avoid a strict moral lesson and just exist. Sure, it wasn't the most educational or positive story. But I laughed.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A "That's what you get" kind of story.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somedays I feel like billy's father, never being able to please a child. A cute book for repetition and family.

[Wendi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd like to think that if I were a parent, I wouldn't hesitate to read such a subversive book to my kid.

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be an amazing storytime read for slightly older kids, alas I have 2 year olds right now. It is very reminiscent of Sendak's Pierre.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book's story is nearly identical to a song I loved as a child about a boy named Pierre who only would say "I don't care." Pierre was eaten by a lion. The lion's stomach was pumped, and Pierre survived. He learned his lesson. I'm not sure who wrote the song, but it was on a tape we had called "I'm Really Rosie."

The only differences between the Pierre song and "Whatever" are:
1-the kid in "Whatever" says "Whatever" instead of "I don't care."
2- he is eaten by a a tiger instead of a lion.
3- Nobody pumps the tiger's stomach!

Despite the derivative nature of this book, I give it 4 satisfied stars. Sometimes, there is no growth, there are no lessons learned, and you just die in the end. Bravo.

[Charlotte Yardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny little story about a very stubborn boy. The repetitive nature of the book would allow children to join in with the reading. The ending of this story gives the message that eventually you'll get a taste of your own medicine - Whether you act nice, then people will be nice to you. Whereas if you act stubborn and hard to please, people will soon stop listening to you and trying to please you.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love anything by William Bee. Some of his books are surprising and a little dark, which is actually so much fun for all ages.

This book is about a boy who is just indifferent about everything and not impressed at all. He is the definition of "meh". His father tries to impress him without success. The ending is a morbidly fun surprise!

[Alexandra Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another version of 'Don't care was made to care' It's great, whatever is the child's response to everything his father tried to interest him in. When he's swallowed by a tiger and cries out his father says whatever. Very simple, children will relate to and it's a clear moral message. Good for discussion if class aren't paying attention to something or are noncholant.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whatever! This short story might just make your ungrateful child smile. And maybe get the point of enjoying life more. Billy is a very ungrateful child. Everything his father does with him, some of which I wish someone would do with me, was greeted with a "Whatever!". When he meets the hungriest tiger, it is rather an interesting ending.

[Jennifer Spiers · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title kind of sums this one up for me. I kind of like the slightly macabre humour at the end and good illustrations, but I think this is no more than a short read. Not something I would use for an extended period in class

[Sadia Mansoor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hahahaa... funny! :D
When someone is so hard to please & ungrateful, then you get a lesson to learn!
WHATEVAAAAAAAAAAA!! ;)

Here's the book.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTKDG...

[Elizabeth Chang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hah. He totally deserved that ending.

[Abi Calcutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very simple but super affective book. I love this story of showing the important of manners and how you should speak to others!

[Awjtf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny!

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to teach irony! I wish my teachers had read this to me elementary/middle school because I didn't learn what irony was until 11th grade! Great moral too.