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Mad About Meatloaf

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Meet Weenie, a meatloaf-obsessed wiener dog, and his best friends Frank and Beans in this hilarious early graphic novel for fans of Narwhal and Jelly and The Bad Guys.

Weenie loves his human, Bob. He loves his guinea pig friend Beans and his cat friend Frank. He loves naps, adventures and sharing. In fact, Weenie loves pretty much everything (except the mail carrier).

But the thing Weenie loves and desires more than anything else in the world is meatloaf. And he'll do anything to get it.

Join Weenie, Frank and Beans on a laugh-out-loud meatloaf adventure, complete with a trench coat disguise, a wild meatloaf trap and even a hungry wolf.

56 pages, Hardcover

Published October 12, 2021

2 people are currently reading
125 people want to read

About the author

Maureen Fergus

30 books123 followers
Author also writes as M.L. Fergus

Maureen Fergus's books for young people have been translated into more than a dozen languages, optioned for film and adapted for stage. They've been shortlisted and won many regional, national and international awards. Maureen also writes epic romantasy novels for older readers under the name M.L.Fergus. In addition to being a writer, Maureen has degrees in science and business, and she has held senior management positions in the aerospace, biopharmaceutical and financial services industries. She lives in Winnipeg, Canada with her family.

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5 stars
145 (35%)
4 stars
170 (42%)
3 stars
76 (18%)
2 stars
9 (2%)
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4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
Profile Image for ame.
148 reviews3 followers
February 22, 2021
Thank you NetGalley for this book in exchange for a honest review.

This book was absolutely adorable! We follow the journey of Weenie the giddy wiener dog, Frank the sarcastic cat, and Beans the wise guinea pig. I really loved the dynamic between the three of them and how they complemented each other. The art style is lovely and eye-catching, everything from the lineart to the colors were absolutely flawless. The story was intriguing and sweet, the conversation between the characters felt natural and not forced at all. I LOVED this book so much, and I highly recommend it for both the younger and older audiences.
Profile Image for John.
82 reviews
December 12, 2021
"Weenie was kind of a jerk. We liked Frank and Beans."
Profile Image for Kim.
1,162 reviews16 followers
March 7, 2021
Fun book for children to read and adorable illustrations. I love how the 3 friends try to help each other. This is a great book for a younger audience.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.
Profile Image for Christine.
570 reviews4 followers
February 12, 2021
This is the cutest book!! The illustrations alone will make you love this book!! Who doesn't love a Weiner Dog and his friends!!! I would recommend this for a classroom library or to have for a kid learning how to read. Weenie, the Weiner dog hangs out with friends and they try to help each other out.
19 reviews
February 16, 2021
This is a cute graphic novel. Illustrations were cute and accurate to portray the emotion of the character. The story is a cute story of Weenie the dog and his friends Frank and Beans. Interestingly some aspects feel as though they could be lessons for young children, however, I am having a hard time deciding what age range this should be categorized for.
I enjoyed the sweet innocence of Weenie and his friend Frank the cat is truly depicted as how you would expect a cat to speak and act if they could talk. Interested to see what book 2 brings.
Profile Image for Felicia Harris.
439 reviews7 followers
February 10, 2021
This was really cute even if it was a little shorter than I thought it would be. I loved all of the animals. This had a very old cartoon/comic vibe to it. It reminded me a lot of Garfield actually only with a dog of course. I could definitely see Weenie and his friends in a cartoon get up to all of their adorable antics.
Profile Image for Jess.
379 reviews15 followers
February 11, 2021
This was a super cute story about Weenie alongside his friends Frank and Beans. Filled with laughs and adventure, I thought the art style was adorable and the story had purpose and meaning. I think this would be a great read for young readers.
Profile Image for Rachel.
978 reviews14 followers
December 29, 2022
This is a cute start to a children‘s book series. Weenie is a dachshund who lives with his best friends, Frank (a cat) and Beans (a Guinea pig) and in this book, he learns about friendship via adventures in finding, eating, and replacing their caretaker‘s meatloaf. I‘d recommend for kids somewhere between Narwhal and Jelly age and Captain Underpants age. (Free copy from Tundra Books via LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for my honest review)
Profile Image for Kay S..
478 reviews1 follower
July 7, 2022
So sweet, so joyful, and an absolutely mindnumbingly adorable title. I love how it doesn't try to teach a lesson or imply morals (though it does have a lovely message that apologizing is easier and simpler than going through all that to fix a mistake), it relishes in being a fun book that kiddos are going to love. Heck, that ADULTS are going to love.
Profile Image for Zac.
269 reviews55 followers
April 20, 2023
I love Weenie, Frank and Beans! These books are short, fun and totally hilarious. The illustrations are full of personality and really add to the fun of the stories. Perfect for the youngest graphic novel fans, especially if they love Blue, Barry and Pancakes or Pea, Bee and Jay.
Profile Image for Mrs_R_Librarian.
218 reviews14 followers
January 24, 2022
Lough Out Loud Funny!
This is a story about a dog (Weenie), A Cat(Frank), a Guinea Pig (Beans), Bob (their owner) and an irresistible meatloaf.
Profile Image for Sherrie.
537 reviews35 followers
March 5, 2021
Outstanding elementary grades graphic novel- thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance reading copy of this book. I will definitely be purchasing this for my elementary library.
Profile Image for Fiona.
1,232 reviews13 followers
December 7, 2022
Overconfident Weenie and his sidekicks cranky Frank and rational Beans are a charming set of characters who had me laughing from the start. They live with thier human Bob but are fully independent of his influence and thier attempts to compensate Bob for the meatloaf Weenie eats are unexpected and creative. I can see this series being very popular.

Thank you to Tundra Books for the free review copy (which will be gifted to a delighted child this Xmas).
Profile Image for Nancy.
1,579 reviews
February 25, 2021
Thank you NetGalley, Maureen Fergus and Penguin Random House Canada – Tundra Books for the ARC of Mad About Meatloaf. This is my personal review.
Mad About Meatloaf is the cutest book for children. It is a great story for children of all ages as well as adults!
The illustrations are fantastic. The story is one that will feel good for all reading it.
Weenie is a meatloaf loving wiener dog who loves his life he has living with Bob his human. He has two wonderful friends Frank the cat and Beans the guinea pig.
Bob had made a meatloaf and Weenie was determined to eat. He did just that and then Frank and Beans convinced him to try to replace the meat. So, the adventure begins on how to do just that.
The end will surely put a smile on your face.
Profile Image for Charlie.
95 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2021
I absolutely need a Beans in my life!

Super cute story with bold and colourful illustrations that any child (or 32 year old) is guaranteed to enjoy. Highly recommend and look forward to the next installment.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Leer Con Layca.
240 reviews3 followers
February 24, 2021
Weenie loves his life with his human Bob and animal friends. He would like to have more meatloaf because to him its the best food. Then he finds MEATLOAF but its Bob's and he's not suppose to touch it. Unable to resist Weenie eats the meal and needs to find out how he can make it up to his human. Mad about Meatloaf is a book about restraint and consequences for your actions. Weenie is an adorable dachshund that may not make the best decisions. His friends Frank and Beans try to guide Weenie in his decisions and they represent physical good/bad representations. Some of Weenies ideas are far fetch but will make readers laugh at his imagination. The illustrations are strong visuals of the story and really bring the story to life. Some situations are unrealistic and do not keep in line with the universe built. Such as Weenie being understood by humans at the grocery store parking lot.
Profile Image for A.J. Kormon.
Author 10 books44 followers
March 22, 2021
Weenie and his friends Frank and Beans are adorable! I'm excited to read more books in this series. My boys are 8 and 10 and they are both reluctant readers, and this book was perfect for them. We loved the story as well the bright and playful illustrations. After eating Bob's meatloaf, Weenie is determined to go to the grocery store and get the ingredients to replace it, but he doesn't expect his arch nemesis, the mailman, to be there. Uh oh! A wonderful tale about friendship and knowing when to admit you've done something wrong. Looking forward to the next book! Thank you to NetGalley for the advance digital copy.
Profile Image for Meghan.
2,469 reviews
February 19, 2021
This book was received as an ARC from Penguin Random House Canada - Tundra Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book cracked me up from beginning to end. The dialogue was brilliantly written and the illustrations were on point and hysterical. We have always been on the search for new graphic novels that were more adventurous and relatable to the younger audience and now I have a hysterical title to recommend to our patrons. I do have to say though, I never found a dog that loved meatloaf as much as Weenie does and the sarcastic/mischievous personality of Frank the Cat and the wise personality of Beans, made this book easily enjoyable. A great find for the graphic novel enthusiasts.

We will consider adding this title to our J Graphic Novel collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
Profile Image for Lu Mitchell.
84 reviews13 followers
February 18, 2021
I loved absolutely everything about this book! I already need more Weenie, Frank and Beans in my life. Weenie is your typical meatloaf-obsessed puppy with his reluctant cat and supportive guinea pig sidekicks. The dialogue is hysterical and can be enjoyed by both children and their parents. It is easy enough for a 2nd grader to read independently, but challenging enough for 1st graders to read with their grownup. The storyline is so unique, I am confident it will inevitably rank alongside similar books in the YA genre, like Captain Underpants, Dog Man, Narwhal and Jelly, etc. I will 100% be purchasing this for my kids and my classroom.
Profile Image for Melissa.
253 reviews83 followers
February 14, 2021
A cute little book about 3 friends Weenie, Frank, and Beans. Although they are a dog, cat, and guinea pig, they are always scheming ways to get Weenie his favorite food-MEATLOAF!
Weenie, the dachshund, is as funny with his quest for meatloaf as Garfield is wit lasagna!
Can’t wait for Book 2.
Profile Image for Ashley Dang.
1,574 reviews
February 8, 2021
A fun and adorable book about three pets and their adventures! The story follows a wiener dog, a cat, and a guinea pig who all live together with their owner. The artwork is really cute and the overall story was fun to read. This would make a great read for kids!

*Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
Profile Image for Gretchen.
1,452 reviews31 followers
February 22, 2021
A cute book about the adventures of three house-pet friends, Weenie (a wiener dog), Frank (a cat), and Beans (a guinea pig). In this book, Weenie really wants to eat a meatloaf that Bob (their caretaker) made for himself. Beans tries to convince Weenie not to eat it, but she is unsuccessful. Bob is not very thrilled that Weenie ate his meatloaf. The three friends try to go to the store to buy meatloaf ingredients, but they fail and Weenie confronts his nemesis, the mailman. The three friends then try to catch a wild meatloaf, but catch a wolf instead. They go home without a meatloaf for Bob. #NetGalley
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Maddy Addison.
120 reviews1 follower
March 22, 2021
Weenie loves eating cows, and doesn’t feel bad about it either

Posted on March 22, 2021 by michellelovatosbookreviews, world's first book color commentator, book reviews with a twist

Weenie loves meatloaf as much as Garfield loves Lasagna.
Figures. Don’t you know that it’s a dog-eat cat world? Or, in this case, a dog teases cat world.
Or, better said, it’s a cat teases dog world. Oh. Heck. I don’t know.
All I do know is that it’s not a dog-eat-dog world.
It’s a dog-eat cow world. Because Weenie LOVES meatloaf!
This darling graphic novel could not be more perfect for my first-and second-grade grandchildren who are neck-deep in the process of falling in love with reading.
During the 1970s, reading Peanuts cartoons in signet paperback book form was my greatest pleasure. I felt so accomplished finishing book after book of strip comics depicting Charlie Brown, that evil football-snatching Lucy, sweet little sister Sally, and adorable Linus.
Today, my grandchildren’s favorite graphic novels are more along the lines of Captain Underpants, and Dog Man. Cute, but a bit more, ah, Great-Grandma-Prudy-Pants offensive. But not Mad About Meatloaf! This book is 100-percent cute. Great Grandma PP would approve.
Introducing Mad About Meatloaf (Weenie featuring Frank and Beans Book #1), authored by Maureen Fergus. This early-reader chapter graphic novel stars the charming, mischievous, and enduringly hungry Weenie, who is, of course, a wiener dog.
In this first novel, our intrepid Weenie is laser-focused on eating his “Bob’s” meatloaf, conveniently sitting atop a counter, precariously close to the edge, waiting like a police-sting hooker to be victimized.
Weenie’s friends, Frank the cat and Beans the guinea pig, argue with the suave little wiener because they do not agree whether eating Bob’s meatloaf is a house-sanctioned activity. Once they decide Weenie is a hero for teaching Bob the lesson of sharing, they dig into the challenge and work together to accomplish Weenie’s goal.
Illustrations? Just darling. Story? Predictable – but it should be that way.
A long line of first- and second-grade angels watched over this author Fergus as she penned this little book and an even heavier blessing was bestowed upon illustrator Alexandra Bye who breathed life into these friends when she created the illustrations.
Mad About Meatloaf is a God-send to parents whose children struggle to fall in love with the foundational lifeblood of eye-opening, world-rocking knowledge available through reading.
Perhaps this book was intended to be something else. A gift book? A table topper? That’s easy to see. Weenie Loves Meatloaf could serve either of those categories. It could also spark a good old-fashioned newspaper or online-inbox comic strip as popular as its reverse-the-animal-characters near-clone, Garfield.
It doesn’t matter.
Right now, the only relevant thing is this:
Weenie loves meatloaf … and he wants more.
By the way, I live with my very own Weenie. But he is much taller, a jet-black labrador retriever named Romeo, and does not need a cat, or any of his other dog pack members to help him skim the counters for food. All he has to do is lift his head, raise his giant body, paw the counter, and suck.

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Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things. Psalm 128: 1-2
Profile Image for Vanessa.
842 reviews60 followers
January 17, 2024
Embark on a whimsical journey with Weenie, the irresistibly food-obsessed wiener dog, and his quirky companions, Frank and Beans! "Mad About Meatloaf" is a delightful early graphic novel that promises laughter, adventure, and a hearty dose of cuteness for young readers, making it an instant hit in the world of Narwhal and Jelly and The Bad Guys.

I must say, this book is a real gem for the little ones. From the charming dynamics between Weenie, Beans, and Frank to the hilarious escapades centered around Weenie's undying love for meatloaf, every page is a burst of joy and entertainment. The vivid illustrations bring these lovable characters to life, making it an engaging visual treat for the young readers.

Weenie's relentless pursuit of the ultimate meaty delight is not only amusing but also cleverly woven into a tale of friendship and shared adventures. The addition of a trench coat disguise, a wild meatloaf trap, and the unexpected involvement of a hungry wolf adds layers of humor and excitement that will surely capture the imaginations of young minds.

As someone who appreciates a good dose of cuteness and fun, I found "Mad About Meatloaf" to be a really cute and enjoyable read. I have no doubt that young readers will adore the quirky charm of Weenie and his pals. This book is a fantastic addition to the collection of any child who loves a hearty laugh and a delightful adventure.
516 reviews3 followers
July 3, 2021
What a wonderful story. Weenie, Frank, and Beans are friends. When Weenie decides he must have some of Bob’s meatloaf, his friends help him to get to the counter when it is cooling. Bob is not happy when he returns home to find his meatloaf completely gone. The friends decide to make another one but have problems getting the ingredients or finding a wild meatloaf. In the end, Weenie decides to just apologize to Bob. His friends agree to support him.

The story is cute and funny throughout. When introducing himself and having the reader guess what kind of dog he is, he gives a hint, “Well, I’m not a hamburger patty dog. That’s right, I’m a Weiner Dog!” It cracked me up.

The illustrations are colorful and fun. The characters have great facial expressions. The colors are mainly yellows and browns but it works because the characters are the real gems.


I received an ARC from Penguin Random House Canada/Tundra Books through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.
Profile Image for mad mags.
1,276 reviews91 followers
December 28, 2022
(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review through Library Thing's Early Reviewers program.)

Weenie is just your average, run-of-the-mill wiener dog: he can fly, breathe underwater, and move objects with his mind. Oh, and he loves to eat. Specifically, piping hot meatloaf freshly prepared by his human, Bob. Along with his siblings Frank (tragically born a cat) and Beans (an adorably floofy guinea pig), Weenie engages in all sorts of shenanigans. Like - you guessed it - plotting a meatloaf heist.

I'll be honest, the one and only reason I requested this title from Library Thing's Early Reviewers giveaway is because I used to be owned by a dachshund named Ralphie. Though he never stole a meatloaf, he did run off with my wallet once. Anyway, I'm so glad I won, because MAD ABOUT MEATLOAF is just the most adorable thing ever. The story is engaging and imaginative (wild meatloaf, anyone?), and the art is delightful.

My only caveat: kids, never let your dog friend eat meatloaf, since it probably contains onions, and onions are a no-no for nonhumans. Also, vegan meatloaf exists, and it is divine.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews

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