The Best Place

by Susan Meddaugh

Wolf thinks his porch is the best place in the world until one day his friend Bird says, “How do you know? You’ve never been anyplace else.” This question inspires the wolf to sell his house and travel the world. Eventually his journey brings him back home, but he is unable to get his house back. Upset, he behaves very badly, and even his good intentions get him into trouble. But in the end he understands that sometimes when you can’t get what you want, you find something even better.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 1999

About the author

Susan Meddaugh was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. She graduated from Wheaton College, where she studied French literature and fine arts. After working briefly with an advertising agency in New York, she moved to Boston and worked at a publishing company for ten years, first as a designer, then art editor, and finally as art director. While there, she did the illustrations for Good Stones (Houghton Mifflin) by Anne Epstein, and then decided to strike out on her own as a freelance illustrator and creator of children's books. Since that time, Susan has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including Martha Speaks, which was chosen as a New York Times Best Illustrated Book for 1992. In 1998 she was awarded the New England Book Award, given by the New England Booksellers Association to recognize a body of work. Her work also was acknowledged with a New York Times Best Illustrated Award. She lives in Sherborn, Massachusetts. - from HMHBooks.com

Susan Meddaugh, a New England Book Award Winner, adores Halloween and calls it "THE major Holiday" in her household, in part, she says "because it's the only time in the year when you get to be someone else." - from Candlewick.com

Reviews

[Kendra Thiry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story, as it taught multiple lessons with cute illustrations that conveyed all the emotions. The wolf is asked one day how he knows his porch is "the best place" if he's never left it. This leads the wolf to sell his house, leave his comfort zone, and explore the world. Only to find that his porch was still the best place to him after all. But when he gets back, he can't get his house back from the bunnies he sold it to and acts out because of it. He has to apologize and learn that his anger isn't going to solve anything. He has to learn about himself in order to create a new "best place."

[Alix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet story about how travel can make you value your home even more, and about how the best thing about home is the people in your community. Animal characters. Temper tantrums. Miscommunication. And community coming together to help a friend.

[Ella Gordon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book very much. The illustrations were nothing to run home about and the story was kind of pointless. too much happened in the book for it to make an impact.

[Makenna Teague]

The old wolf is more than content to view life from the screen porch on his house: "This screen porch is magical... my screen porch is the best place in the whole world!"

[Anna Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Reaction:
I really liked reading this book because it told a story of not knowing how great something is until it's gone, but going out of your comfort zone to find something better. That is exactly what the old wolf did in this story. This books offers a fun story for kids, but has a hidden message and a lesson that they can learn from. I would definitely read this book to my class to teach them about taking advantage of what they have but supporting them in finding new things.

Purposes:
-Read aloud for K-2 grade
-Enrichment for the children's enjoyment purposes as well as enrichment for their educational/life lesson purposes: the old wolf is brave and takes on many of the obstacles the world presents. Although he travels far, he realizes that his favorite place was not exactly where he left at his old home, but very close by right in the woods up a tree. This teaches the kids the lesson that you may not have to go far to find something that means a lot to you, like all of the friends he made and his new porch.
-Illustrations: the illustrations in the book follow along with the story very well. The illustrator does a very good job with expressions, showing when the old wolf is very sad, angry, or happy and when the other characters are scared or content.
Curriculum: read aloud
-Could be an independent read for 2nd or 3rd graders
-Could be read during a time like Thanksgiving to have the students look in their life and see what they are really thankful for (friends, family, home, etc..)
-The old wolf is a round character, showing many different emotions and feelings toward his situation. Many people think of wolves as scary creatures from books like "Little Red Riding Hood" and "The Three Little Pigs." There is even a time in this story where the characters think he is mean and scary when he is upset about losing his house, but he realizes his mistakes and tries to make up with a a rabbit feast. This can also teach the kids to not judge a book by its cover and be stereotypical because people (wolves) can surprise you.

[Shaundell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wolf has a wonderful house, with a screened-in porch, that he loves and says is the best place in world. But one day his friend Bird says, "How do you know? You've never been anyplace else." So Wolf sells his house to a family of Rabbits and travels the world. But then he realizes that home is the best place of all! This story reminds me that sometimes we don't appreciate friends, family, or things that we have in our lives until they are gone. A cute story!

[kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this book because the wolf feminds me of myself when I get old. And not only do I LOVE screened-in porches, but my dream house is a tree-house. The wolf also reminds of misinterpreted grumpy old men...that are really just diamonds in the rough.