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Waking Up Wendell
EARLY IN THE MORNING, a little bird at #1 Fish Street hops out of her nest, takes a deep breath, and begins to sing a very loud and whistley song, TWEEEEEET-TWEEEEEET-TA-TA-TA-TWEEEEEET-TWEEEEET!
So starts the story of how a chain of events results in everyone on one street waking up. The bird's song awakens Mr. Krudwig at #2 Fish Street, whose grumbling wakes up Leopold, his dog, who barks "RAPPITYRAPPITY-RAP RAPPITY-RAPPITY-RAP" . . . and wakes up Mrs. Musky, at #3 Fish Street. The antics go on and on until, finally, Lilah Hall's singing in the shower at #9 awakens the last person left who is still asleep, none other than the littlest resident at #10 Fish baby Wendell Willamore.
So starts the story of how a chain of events results in everyone on one street waking up. The bird's song awakens Mr. Krudwig at #2 Fish Street, whose grumbling wakes up Leopold, his dog, who barks "RAPPITYRAPPITY-RAP RAPPITY-RAPPITY-RAP" . . . and wakes up Mrs. Musky, at #3 Fish Street. The antics go on and on until, finally, Lilah Hall's singing in the shower at #9 awakens the last person left who is still asleep, none other than the littlest resident at #10 Fish baby Wendell Willamore.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published September 11, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 3, 2021
It's fun to see that everyone wakes up differently. Sometimes it's easy to get into the mistaken idea that everyone is like us. Books like this remind us how different we really are in some issues.
May 8, 2019
This was my son's favorite read-aloud book for a very long time. So much character, so many opportunities to use different voices and sound effects as I read! He loved it!
June 7, 2019
I liked it when the animals were like dominos waking up everyone.
January 11, 2020
This book took forever to read...
May 27, 2020
underwhelmed
June 28, 2020
Pointless chain of events.
August 21, 2024
April Showers #2
A very onomatopoeic book with sounds galore as we go through one person after another waking up and making noises - Wendell is in there but you know not really s a main part.
A very onomatopoeic book with sounds galore as we go through one person after another waking up and making noises - Wendell is in there but you know not really s a main part.
December 30, 2010
A recent favorite book of my daughters is Waking Up Wendell by April Stevens. It has earned its way onto the multiple reads pile and was for about two weeks the nightly bedtime story.
The story begins in a tree outside Number 1 Fish Street. The birds wake up the dog who in turn wakes up the owner who puts the dog outside where he can wake up the resident of Number 2. And so it goes through a chain of events through each house and each resident until at last Wendell is awoken.
The book's first winning detail is its attention to sound. Each home is associated with a sound, a disturbance, be it a bird, a dog, a sewing machine, or a hungry cat, for example. All these sounds are written out as onomatopoeias that are easy and fun for young readers (such as my daughter) to read and perform.
The second great aspect of the book are its characters. Although they are all drawn as swine, they stand in for the diversity people and families who might live on any street. There are so many different characters to relate too. Sometimes we just stop to make up stories for the different houses.
And finally there's the simple fact that it's a counting one to ten book. At one end of the street is Number 1 Fish Street and at the other end of the block is Wendell's home, Number 10 Fish Street. The counting aspect of the book gives children a way to predict what happens next.
The story begins in a tree outside Number 1 Fish Street. The birds wake up the dog who in turn wakes up the owner who puts the dog outside where he can wake up the resident of Number 2. And so it goes through a chain of events through each house and each resident until at last Wendell is awoken.
The book's first winning detail is its attention to sound. Each home is associated with a sound, a disturbance, be it a bird, a dog, a sewing machine, or a hungry cat, for example. All these sounds are written out as onomatopoeias that are easy and fun for young readers (such as my daughter) to read and perform.
The second great aspect of the book are its characters. Although they are all drawn as swine, they stand in for the diversity people and families who might live on any street. There are so many different characters to relate too. Sometimes we just stop to make up stories for the different houses.
And finally there's the simple fact that it's a counting one to ten book. At one end of the street is Number 1 Fish Street and at the other end of the block is Wendell's home, Number 10 Fish Street. The counting aspect of the book gives children a way to predict what happens next.
April 29, 2008
When the little bird at #1 Fish Street wakes up and begins singing each morning, she starts a chain of events that awakens residents from house to house, including the last to rise, baby Wendell at #10 Fish Street. Comical facial expressions reflect the various moods of the porcine residents of each home. Onomatopoeia appear on every spread, as the sleep-interrupting noises are printed in large letters across the page. Each home is painted a different color, and the oil paint and colored pencil illustrations flood color to the margins. This title would make an excellent resource for teaching cause and effect to younger elementary students.
March 22, 2011
"Early in the morning, a little bird at #1 Fish Street hops out of her nest, takes a deep breath, and begins to sing a very loud and whistley song. TWEET-TWEET-TA-TA-TA-TWEET..." And so it begins, a chain reaction that takes us past every house down Fish Street, waking each neighbor and pet in a row with all kids of sounds.
Walking Up Wendell is a fun story to teach sequence of events, cause and effect, numbers (the house numbers are also listed in order), and onomatopoeia (all the different noises that wake each character up). Its illustrations are cheery and bright like the morning on Fish Street. The story will keep kids guessing who will wake up next.
Walking Up Wendell is a fun story to teach sequence of events, cause and effect, numbers (the house numbers are also listed in order), and onomatopoeia (all the different noises that wake each character up). Its illustrations are cheery and bright like the morning on Fish Street. The story will keep kids guessing who will wake up next.
February 11, 2008
This is a children's picture book that I have read many times. It goes through each resident of ten side by side houses on Fish Street and a piece of their waking up routine. The transition from one house to another is made by a noise, such as a barking dog, waking up one resident to the next. It is made funny in that the residents are all pigs personified. It is a great book that makes children and adults chuckle.
December 5, 2010
One after another the neighbors on Fish Street are woken up. One is woken up by a bird another by a dog and so on. In the end they wake up the last animal in the last house, baby Wendell.
I enjoyed the book because it was easy to read and had a fun quick story about people waking up and what they do when they first get up. This was a fun story about a street and the different neighbors that live there.
I enjoyed the book because it was easy to read and had a fun quick story about people waking up and what they do when they first get up. This was a fun story about a street and the different neighbors that live there.
May 30, 2013
More of a 2.5 star book...This is a cute premise - sort of a whisper-down-the-lane, cause and effect story. There are some nice, onomatopoetic words throughout. One of the main things that makes it less than satisfying is that the events that happen throughout don't really seem to be tied together. The end of the book doesn't seem to relate at all to the beginning.
September 4, 2015
2.75 Stars This is what I hate about my neighborhood, one noise wakes up one neighbor then it is a chain reactions. Perplexed why there are pigs in the house but the streets are named Fish! Cute pictures, but I just didn't love the concept.. we go through the long wake up process and it is just to wake up the baby, Wendell.
March 19, 2008
This tale gives readers a peak into the early mornings on Fish Street. The song of one little bird is enough to start a whole chain reaction. This would make a nice storytime read, as there are sounds, noises and voices on each page just begging for the kids to make them.
May 29, 2009
I wouldn't have guessed that my kids would enjoy this book so much. I'm still not sure why they enjoy it. I'd probably give it two stories (so so story, cute pictures) but they'd probably say 4 stars, so we'll go for 3 stars.
November 19, 2009
This is a cute story about how the residents of Fish Street are woken up progressively, from one house to the next. The cartoonish illustrations and main characters that are pigs are entertaining for young children. It's a fun story to read aloud.
September 18, 2014
This is an excellent book for kids! The cause and effect angle is always so wonderful and it encourages great discussions. The illustrations were colorful and lively, which made the book all the more appealing.
October 3, 2007
Loved the progressive nature of the book and the sense of community. The illustrations are bold and bright.
March 30, 2009
A cleverly crafted book that takes children on a delightful trip down a charming street.
January 13, 2009
Great for teaching kids cause-and-effect.
April 24, 2010
PreSchool-Grade 2 SLJ/ Ages 4-8 BK
story tells how each neighbor does something to wake up the next until the whole street is awake. cute pictures
story tells how each neighbor does something to wake up the next until the whole street is awake. cute pictures
June 19, 2010
great story for younger children, my 2 yr old loved it. It is about how living in a neighborhood can effect your wake-up time. Fun sounds, have students imitate...
June 7, 2012
Audience: boys/girls
Ages: 3-8
Colorful, Funny
Ages: 3-8
Colorful, Funny
December 1, 2012
A progressive story
August 11, 2013
Great for onomotopoeia - but Ugh - so long! Seemed to be aimed at preschoolers but the story is written for 3rd graders and up.
December 1, 2013
"I don't like Lilah's song. I just like her."
Momma says that this book it good for helping toddlers like me develop a sense of sequence in a story and character connection.
Momma says that this book it good for helping toddlers like me develop a sense of sequence in a story and character connection.
May 28, 2015
I didn't like the negativity that this book started out with. Does the phrase "for crying out loud" really need to be in a children's book? I don't want my boy saying that.
December 27, 2025
It takes the whole neighborhood to wake up Wendell.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2011
This was a fun adventure of cause and effect.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews