Wheetle: A Little Wagon with a Big Heart

by Cindy Derby

WALL-E meets THE RABBIT LISTENED in this tender picture book about a little wagon who learns to set his own boundaries, by Caldecott Honor-winning creator Cindy Derby.

Wheetle just wants to help. He's a wagon after all, and that's what he's meant to do. So when his friends ask him to carry slimy things, fragile things, heavy things, even squiggly-wiggly things, he always says yes.

But one morning he wakes up with a wobbly wheel. Oh no! he thinks, but decides he can still help his friends. When he hears a loud POP, he suddenly finds he is the one who needs help. Will his friends come through for him, this time?

Cindy Derby introduces us to a lovable character, Wheetle, in this new evergreen classic by the Caldecott Honor-winning creator of Outside In.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Friendship, Fantasy, Fiction, Transport, Kids

40 pages, Hardcover

Published April 22, 2025

About the author

Cindy Derby is an illustrator and author based out of San Francisco. How to Walk an Ant is her debut picture book, which has been praised as “[a] freaky, bizarre delight” (Julie Danielson, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast) and named one of "The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children's Books of 2019" (100 Scope Notes). Cindy's background is in puppetry and she has performed all over the world.

Reviews

[Star Gater · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for allowing me to read and review Wheetle on NetGalley.

Published: 04/22/25

Stars: 3

Point made: Sometimes we need help from friends. A wagon is used in its functional capacity to help others. When the wagon needs help, he finds he has friends.

The graphics seem muted, but okay.

Overall, meh.

#shortyseptember
#TangibleReads

[dinorah bernardini · Rating 5 out of 5]

A precious book, perfect for introducing boundaries to young children. It follows a quirky little wagon named Wheetle on his endeavors to help friends tote interesting loads—until one day, he gets hurt and has to call on his friends for help. It teaches a valuable lesson: you can’t pour from an empty cup, so it’s okay to say no sometimes and take care of yourself.

Wonderfully narrated by Bruce Kramer (whom I could listen to all day), the audiobook includes background music and sound effects that bring the story to life. The adorable cover makes me wish I could see the illustrations in the physical copy. Overall, it’s a beautifully executed children’s book that simplifies an abstract topic.

*A big thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing this ALC via NetGalley! This is an honest review, and all opinions are my own.*

[Thecritic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wheetle the wagon helps everyone everyday and doesn’t say no when someone needs him. He is crossing days on calendar, looking forward to a special day, but his back wheel feels funny.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

Audio narration is very fun and engaging.

A great story to teach about burnout and self care.

[Sarah Benham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Cindy derby and loved this book!! Thanks NetGalley for the audio arc - this narration was dramatic and engaging and music reminiscent of the carnival of the animals. A very well done and engaging listen!

[Ellie Schaben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Libro FM and Roaring Book Press for the ALC of this book!

A cute story about burnout, self-care, and learning when to say “no”. Boundaries are hard to set for adults, and this definitely can help start the conversations early!

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

We stan a boundary setting wagon

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wheetle, the helpful anthropomorphic wagon, always helps his animal neighbors sometimes at his own expense.

Wheetle, a little red wagon, lives in an old shed at the edge of a forest. He regularly carries loads for the local fauna.

He is looking forward to seeing a field of sunflowers blooming at sunrise, which is his favorite sight in the world. However, during the week leading up this event, Wheetle's back wheel begins to be feel funny. Each day as he helps his neighbors, his wheel feels worse and worse.

Finally, on the long awaited morning, Wheetle wakes up before dawn, puts on his bowtie, and sets out. He is waylaid by a neighbor who asks him to carry something for him.

Wheetle doesn't want to, but he feels obligated, so he does. Unfortunately, in the process of doing so, his tire goes flat. Wheetle is crushed with disappointment.

But all the insects pick him up and carry him to the top of the hill, so Wheetle is able to see his favorite sight in the world after all ... thanks to help of his neighbors who indirectly caused this problem in the first place.

After this Wheetle still carries things for his neighbors but not as much and not as often.

The morals:
• Those you help will help you.
• Don’t burn yourself to keep others warm.

As a woman, I felt this story. The world runs on the unpaid invisible labor of women: domestic, physical, and emotional. Because Wheetle is a wagon, everyone around him expects him to carry things for him/her. That’s what wagons do: they carry things for others. Because I am a woman, I am expected to perform certain tasks for my family, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, community, and greater society. That’s what women do: they take care of others. This is expected, and this is unpaid.

Fun fact: 30% of caregivers die before the person with a chronic/terminal illness for whom they are caring due to the strain of caregiving.

All of the work Wheetle does for others contributes to a physical injury that very nearly causes him to miss something that is very important to him personally. All of the work women do for others also takes a physical, emotional, and psychological toll. We perform this invisible unpaid work for others at personal cost. We are worn down physically. We are drained emotionally. We sacrifice our free time, our hobbies, and often our own careers and our dreams. We do unpaid work for family businesses. We financially subsidize others by providing free services as well as tangible objects (food, donations, gifts).

And to make matters worse, in the United States, we don't have a social safety net funded by tax dollars; we have women who are expected to care for children, elderly and disabled family members (and family members in-law), and community members, to volunteer for social causes and institutions and community events, and to provide for the needs of others out of own paychecks.

The illustrations were done in watercolor, gouache, colored pencils, pastels, stamps, acrylics, and collage techniques.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every morning Wheetle woke up and greeted the day. With a smile on his face, he bustled into the forest to help his neighbors with whatever they needed (and it was usually quite a lot).

He carried heavy things, slimy things, and fragile things. Wheetle just loved helping his friends.

At the end of the day Wheetle’s back tire gave a little squeak. Pushing it aside, he would look at his calendar, anxiously anticipating his favorite morning of the year. It was coming up at the end of the week!

Day by day, Wheetle continued to move things for his friends and every day his tire squeaked a little more. Finally, that Saturday Wheetle awoke extra early and headed out the door. On his way to his favorite spot, a friend stopped him. Well I guess he can move this last bit since it is on the way…

Wheetle headed off when he heard a loud pop! His tired deflated and he couldn’t move, he was stuck. Sadness overcame him as he realized he was going to miss his favorite thing.

The he started to move. His friends and neighbors had found him and they were pushing him up the windy road and the big hill. Wheetle made it to his favorite thing after all ❤️.

This story is such a lovely message about being a good friend but also to know when to take a break. I love the sweet illustrations and Wheetle has the more adorable expressions. A great message in establishing healthy boundaries even with those you care about.

[Ashleah · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5/5 stars)

Wheetle: A Little Wagon with a Big Heart is a tender picture book about setting boundaries by Cindy Derby.

As someone who has a hard time saying no when people ask me for help, I really appreciated this book! I had a red wagon when I was a kid and this book brought back memories of all of the things that all I carried in mine.

I really love the artwork; it's so whimsical! I especially loved the pages showing what Wheetle helped carry for his friends, and the different color palates the author/artist used for different times of the day or the darkness of despair creeping in.

I received a complimentary review copy from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. All opinions contained herein are my own.

If you want to see more from me, check out my blog, Bookstagram, TheStoryGraph, or Bluesky.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wheetle, written by Cindy Derby and narrated by Bruce Kramer, is a children's book about a little wagon who loves to help! He knows that he is meant to carry things for others, and takes great pride in doing so. One day he wakes before anyone else, and decides to do an unexpected job, when something happens. Wheetle is stuck in a sticky situation, and doesn't know what to do! He was going to miss out on something he was very excited to do. Wheetle discovers a lot about himself in this book, and about accepting and giving help when needed.
I really appreciated this book. and I think it can be a very helpful book for little ones to hear, helping them to recognize that everyone needs help sometimes! I can not wait to share this book with my favorite little learners. Thank you to NetGalley, and to the author, publisher, and narrator of this book for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wheetle the wagon loved to help his insect friends move things as that's what he is meant to do. But one day a back wheel begins to squeak and gets louder as Wheetle continues to carry heavy loads for his friends. Unfortunately, on the one day of the year that Wheetle waits for, as he's helping a friend, his back wheel breaks. Wheetle is heartbroken. There is no one around to hear his cry for help. He is going to miss the one event of the year he looks forward to. But then, one little beetle puts out a call for help and all of Wheetle's forest friends come help carry him to the top of the hill so that he can see ALL the suns come up.

A wonderful story about helpfulness and kindness. And children will love exclaiming over the many "suns".

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story. In the middle, I was getting worried, but every character came forward to do the right thing to a happy ending in this community. Every day, Wheetle helps without refusing or complaining, but when he needs help, will he be alone, or will others come to his rescue?
Not only is it inspiring to make us help more, but it lets the ones who only take and don't give back rethink their actions. Those who share and help, their effort will be recognized.
I am glad the character is a unique and creative one. I don't think we read a book with a little wagon like this as a character before.

Thank you publisher for the digital arc.

[Barbara Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Wheetle: The Little Red Wagon with a Heart
Author: Cindy Darby
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Bruce Kramer
Publisher: Macmillian Audio/Macmillian Young Listeners
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Audiobook Pub Date April 22, 2025
My Rating: 4.4 Stars

As a grandma who loved to read to my grandchildren and when my daughters were little a bedtime story was a must.
This is a quick sweet story about the little red wagon that has a heart and always helps all its neighbors -so when it needs help all the neighbors pitch in.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio /Macmillan Young Listeners for this delightful audiobook. Audiobook Publishing Date scheduled for April 22, 2025.

[Marylovesreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Wheetle: A Little Wagon With a Big Heart* by Cindy Derby is a heartwarming children’s book about learning to set boundaries. Through the story of Wheetle, a kind little wagon, young readers discover the importance of balancing empathy for others with caring for themselves. The charming illustrations and gentle narrative make this book a wonderful tool for teaching kids about self-care and emotional intelligence.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5 ⭐️

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Macmillan Audio (Macmillan Young Listeners) and NetGalley for the digital audio eARC in exchange for an honest review:

The description compares Wheetle to Wall-E, but I didn't get that sense from listening to the audio. Perhaps if I were reading the physical book and seeing the illustrations, but that's the only comparison I see. It was a cozy book about a helpful wagon who learns to rest at times. It would make a good bedtime story, and the sound effects were comforting, along with the music.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley.
Lovely story about a wagon who gives all he has to help his friends. Derby also offers a look at setting boundaries to nurture yourself too. Wheetle hauls so much for everyone until he feels like he is coming apart. Sadly, one of his wheels does break and he is stuck. His friends rescue him, and, they too, learn to show restraint when asking him to carry their stuff. By the end, Wheetle has learned he can haul when he wants to and can say no when he doesn't.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wheetle is a little wagon who carried things around all day for his friends, but when his wheel has a problem, he might miss his favorite day.

The story was OK. There's a helpful wagon and his friends didn't seem to be taking advantage. But I liked the illustrations so much more. I expect that the farm is abandoned, as there are no people, just mostly bugs, and Wheetle is the only inanimate "living" thing. I thought the bugs would call a tow for him, but as they didn't, Wheetle must be unique. Anyway, the story had some big holes for this adult, perhaps a child can look past them.

[Lauren Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Macmillian Audio/MacMillian Young for the digital audio ARC.

Wheetle is a sweet story about a kind-hearted wagon who loves to help others and is helped in return by those he cares for in his community.
The narration by Bruce Krammer is engaging. I enjoyed the different voices for the characters. The background music nicely suits the story and helps set the mood that Krammer is setting with the timber of his voice.

[Kaitlyn Bieszk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about helping out your friends and doing favors for them. Wheetle's back tire stops working and he needs to call out to his friends who help Wheetle get back. Wheetle then decides that he can't always help his friends, but will when he is able too. Great lesson about not always saying yes, but helping when you are able too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reader copy.

[Alyssa Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book Wheetle the wagon did everything he could to help out his neighbors, to the point of his tire wearing all the way down to the metal. When he was in need and thought no one was around. along came his neighbors to help him out. This book can show children the importance of helping out their neighbors and friends and those people doing the same in return. It also shows how it is ok sometimes to say no and only help sometimes so we don't wear ourselves down.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of like The Giving Tree if the tree were a wagon, and the boy were an entire neighborhood of bugs, and if when the tree had given too much the boy had actually recognized the tree's distress and had done something in return.

So in the end, a decent story of mutual aid and setting reasonable boundaries around helping one another.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wagon carries many things for their friends in the woods. But he doesn't take great care for himself, and his wheel pops on his way to see his favorite thing. The bugs in the woods help get him to where he needs because he has helped them so many times. Lesson: take care of yourself and let others help you. Also ok to say no. interesting illustration style.

[Emilie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good setup but does not stick the landing. This wagon never learns to stand up for itself and say NO, only receives help from friends after it is completely, literally, worn out. A better option is "Squirrel Has Trouble Saying No" by Susanna Isern and Leire Salaberria for the same themes but with the learning that is missing in this book.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
I read a digital advance copy courtesy of the publisher
A beautiful story of a little red wagon who helps all its neighbors and when it comes time for the wagon to need help, the neighbors all pitch in.

[Rae the Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cute! The crayon-style illustrations and short phrases on each page are perfect for a preschool classroom/home library. This picture book would be a great read-aloud. The ending message is one that reminds us that it’s great to help others but we must also take time for ourselves.

[Jame_EReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

👦🏻 reviewed: This is one of the best children’s books that I’ve read for a while. It has empathy, friendship and compassion in the story. Best book for young ones to learn that it is Ok not to be Ok all the time. Great book!!!

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very sweet story, with adorable, colorful illustrations, about a little wagon who helps, and helps, and helps, until one day he himself needs the help. This is possibly the first children's book that I've encountered that depicts the idea of boundaries for self-care.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story to teach kindness to children about a little wagon who helps his neighbors move things around and always says "yes". But his tire gives out and the other neighbors, come to his aid. His friends help him to see his important site. Kindness and friendship theme.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reads aloud really well -- just really satisfying sounds and pace. And the story is very sweet.

I also loved the illustrations. The list of tools/techniques in the frontmatter is long, but it all works really well to portray characters and a beautiful, diffuse landscape.

[Tina Hoggatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charmingly illustrated by the author, Wheetle helps anyone carry whatever they ask until on day his tire no longer works, just as he is on his way to see his favorite thing of the year. But when you help others there is a very good chance they will help you...