Hooway for Wodney Wat: A Picture Book About a Teased Rat Who Saves His School for Children

by Helen Lester, Lynn Munsinger (Illustrator)

In this lighthearted moral tale, an unlikely hero defeats a school bully and is finally celebrated by his classmates for his secret super his speech impediment.

Poor Rodney Rat can't pronounce his R's and the other rodents tease him mercilessly. But when Camilla Capybara joins Rodney's class and announces that she is bigger, meaner, and smarter than any of them, everyone is afraid she might be right. Children will delight in--and relate to--the unwitting hero Rodney and how he uses his tiny but powerful voice to save the day.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Fantasy, Humor, School

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Helen Lester is the author of many children’s books. Her background with children includes being a mother of two and a former elementary school teacher of ten years. While at home with her children, Helen realized the importance of quality children’s literature. Helen started her writing career as a struggling author facing many rejections by publishing companies. Her first book was finally published in 1979. Helen Lester is a full-time writer who makes her home in New York.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is about bullying. The art is cute enough as the little critters are cute in clothes. I am wondering about the story. Rodney Rat can't pronounce his R's so he calls himself Wodney Wat and so does everyone else. He is teased so mercilessly for his speech that he walks around with his sweater over his head. This is some serious trauma. He barely speaks to anyone.

Then, Camilla Capybara joins the school. She is the largest rat there and the biggest bully. She bullies the whole class. Everyone gets a taste of their own medicine. Wodney is in charge of Simon says and Camilla doesn't know about his speech impediment. Camilla is very smart and tries to do exactly what he says. Wodney says Wead the Sign and Camilla Weed's, not reads. When he tells the class to go West, everyone knows to rest while Camilla goes west. Supposedly this vanquishes her forever, but we all know eventually she would come back to school.

There is a whole lot of teasing. The kids laugh at Camilla for doing the wrong things at the end. It almost feels like a lesson in tease the one we don't like.

The kids thought it was a good book. They both gave it 4 stars. Maybe I am reading too much into it. Here we go: it's a story that says there is a place where all our gifts can shine at some time. That's what it is. Now, I feel better about the story.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a major problem with this book. I read it for a conference I will attend this Fall. It's part of a group of books on the theme of bullying. I think children's books about bullying are used to serve two main purposes. One is to teach the lesson that picking on each other is wrong and the other is to help kids who are bullied feel like they're not the only ones, and learn strategies to help them cope with bullies. Hooway for Wodney Wat sends a message that doesn't suit either of those purposes.

Wodney is a sympathetic little rat. The illustrations of him hiding in his jacket due to the extreme shyness brought on by his difficulty pronouncing the letter R are priceless. I was rooting for him in the first half of the story. And Camilla, too, despite her bullying ways, had a sympathetic sort of quality as well. I think, on some scale, all of us who work with kids know children who are like her. But I expected both Wodney and Camilla to be somehow appreciated for their positive qualities, those special things about them that make them who they are, and that make the other kids want to befriend them.

What happens instead, though, is that Wodney stoops to the level of the classmates who bullied him in the first place, and Camilla, who I honestly didn't think was supposed to be purely evil, is driven from town never to be seen again. It's a realistic ending in many ways, because children do sometimes solve their own problems with bullying by bullying someone else to become part of the in crowd. But do we want to say "hooway" to that? Or do we want to use picture books to teach a better, more understanding, and more empathetic, way of coexisting with other people? Yes, there are books where it is appropriate and humorous to send the bad guy running for the hills due to his own stupidity. But it's unsettling when that bad guy is the animal equivalent of a chubby little girl with a lot to learn about classroom manners. I'd be curious to know what children think when they hear this story, but I don't feel right sharing it with them to try and find out.

Thankfully, also included in the stack of books I'm reading is Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomie DePaola, which makes for an excellent alternative, and a much more hopeful story, which is also realistic.

[Connie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wodney suffers from a common problem - he says w instead of r. That in and of itself should have been okay, but he's shown being teased mercilessly by the other students. No adult notices and steps in, even when he's unable to speak up in class and either totally ostracised or - slightly better - so shy from this treatment that he avoids the other rodents entirely and never even pokes his head out of his jacket.

This is realistic enough - unfortunately - but that doesn't make it pleasant for me to read to my nieces.

When a new bully comes and bullies the rest of the class, they don't learn the moral lesson "Bullying people isn't fun". Instead, Wodney turns her ignorance of his disability against her. The children laugh at her, and she runs off. "And they lived happily ever after and never teased him again." Of course, if he hadn't been able to use his Special Skill to help him then the other students would have continued to tease him, right?

It's a very unsettling moral message, and not one I really like.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started off fine, but I don't like the moral of the story. Teasing is never okay, and whenever someone stoops to teasing the offending person over and over again is just as bad as the person that started it. For a book based on not bullying, I'm not convinced that young children would get the message.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

American Library Association Notable Book Award (2000)
Monarch Award (2005)

I truly enjoyed Hooway for Wodney Wat. Helen Lester always entertains young readers. Wodney Wat has a problem. He pronounces Rs like Ws. The other rodents ruthlessly tease him. One day, a new student-a very large rodent, named Camilla Capybara, barges into class. All the rodents are frightened by this larger and smarter rodent. When Wodney Wat is named the leader in Simon Says, his speaking deficit becomes his greatest strenghth!

It is not surprising that Hooway for Wodney Wat is a Monarch winner. Children absolutely love this book. It's humor is literal making it a perfect fit for primary students. I particular appreciate Lester's ability to use language that children can relate to. "She accidentally-on purpose elbowed an ear, bumped tow noses, stepped on three tails, and lay down on a desk." The words "accidentally" and "on-purpose" are commonly used and considered quite important to my first graders. This book makes readers of all ages smile. Everyone loves a good underdog story!!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester is a book about bullying, concerning someone with a speech impediment. Rodney is teased by other rodents because he can't pronounce his R's. When Camilla Capybara joins Rodney's class and announces that she is bigger, meaner, and smarter than any of the other rodents, everyone is afraid. Rodney manages to outwit her during a game of Simon Says, saving the day.

Hooway for Woodney Wat has plenty of humor. Everyone is happy to see the underdog, er underrat, triumph. Some readers may not like the fact that the bully is cast out and never returns, intstead of reaching some agreement where everyone is well treated. Others will just find Hooway For Wodney Wat to be very, very funny. The fact that Camilla takes everything Rodney says literally, ala Amelia Bedelia, and without realizing he has a speech impediment, is humorous. The irony of the bullies being bullied themselves will appeal to some readers' sense of fairness too. This can be a fun read-aloud, though a brief discussion about respecting differences and not teasing or bullying may help the message along.

The illustrations are fun. Lester evokes a lot of emotion from expressions and drawings like one where Rodney seems to be hiding in his jacket.

For ages 5 to 8, speech impediments, funny books, Onomatopoeia, overcoming obstacles, bullying themes, and fans of Helen Lester.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooway for Wodney Wat has won countless awards for its exceptional story. The story teaches children about empathy for differences amongst their peers. In this story, we have Rodney Rat who can not pronounce the letter ‘r’. He pronounces his name as Wodney Wat due to his inability to pronounce the ‘r’. His classmates tease him continuously because of his speech impediment making Rodney Rat feel miserable and friendless. His status amongst his classmates changes when he is able to outsmart the bully that terrorizes the class. The illustrations convey the range of emotions that Wodney and his classmates go through from the bullying that Wodney takes from them to the confrontations that the class endures with the bully.

[Julia Stevens]

I have a little cousin who has a hard time pronouncing his C's. This story is so empowering for children like him who may have some type of speech impediment. This story could also provide a lesson in bully prevention.

[Relyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this book for a long, long time. It is perfect and beautiful. It also leads to fantastic conversations about character and bullying. Plus, it's fantastic to read aloud.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 5-year-old daughter really liked this book (and my 11-year-old really liked reading it to her). :)

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wodney Wat (Rodney Rat) can't pronounce his 'R''s and he's bullied for it.
However, when a big bad bully comes to class, a game of Simon Says makes Wodney the hero of the day!

Very cute book!

I also like this one, not only for its cute illustrations, but also for its speech-impediment coping protagonist. I had the same problem with my 'S's. I do sincerely feel Rodney's pain.

[Zoë · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cutest. Book. Ever.

[Lorena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was FUN to read!

[Lizzy Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOOWAY WODNEY!!

[Connor Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weading bedtime stories to my daughter is wad. (Baby westing peacefully)

[Meghna Mandava · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT book

[Damien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great got children to learn about others with disabilities (stuttering).

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second and third graders love this book! I did have to explicitly teach about the speech impediment before they could really understand. Another good one for talking about feelings, names, and anti-bullying.

[Kristen B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one you have to wead outwoud!

[Andrea Wickenhagen]

Poor little Wodney Wat could not pronounce his R's, he couldn't even say his real name Rodney Rat. Everyone at P.S 142 Elementary School for Rodents made fun of Wodney. "What's another name for bunny?" they would ask Wodney and he would reply "Wabbit." Everyone poked fun at poor little Wodney that he was the shyest rodent in elementary school. He as lunch alone and would hide in his jacket at recess not playing with any of the other students. Until one day Camilla Capybara came to school. She was the biggest bully anyone had ever seen. She threatened the entire class that "I'm bigger than any of you. I'm meaner than any of you, And I'm smarter than any of you," she implemented fear into everyone. As the story goes on Wodney is picked as the leader for simon says outside in the school yard. Wodney was terrified especially of Camilla. As he began to command instructions everyone understood what Wodney meant except for Camilla who began to make a fool out of herself and have all of the other students making fun and laughing at her. Wodney soon become the hero for getting rid of the biggest bully to come through the school. This story broke my heart for poor Wodney, just because he could not pronounce his R's everyone had to make fun of him. Everyone has feelings and making fun of others should not be tolerated. This story has a happy ending showing that a bully never wins, it also serve a great lesson for children to see that bullying can really hurt other peoples feeling and bring them down.

[Lindsay Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hooway for Wodney Wat" is a charming story about a young rat who has a speech impediment. Rodney is the main character and he can't pronounce his Rs. All of the children tease him for his problem and he becomes very shy. One day a new student named Camilla joins the class. She is the biggest rodent at the school and the meanest bully. All the students are afraid of her. Rodney is chosen to lead the games at recess and he makes his limitations his strengths when he gets rid of Camilla once and for all.
This is a great book for young readers that are learning to speak or have speech issues. It confronts the issue in a lighthearted, humorous way. Hearing the distinct difference of an R from a W may help the child better understand pronunciation. My brother had a speech problem when he was younger and my mother read this story many times to him. It also makes the story very relatable to children.
The message in the story is to find your strengths. Each child has a special gift and it is up to them during this time to find it and embrace it. Rodney used his speech impediment to his advantage and became his classroom hero. As Rodney continued to fool Camilla, he slowly pulled down his jacked off of his head in each picture. This encourages children to believe in themselves and develop self confidence.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a rat who has trouble pronouncing words. He cannot say his "r's" properly and gets teased as a result. When a bigger rodent, Camilla, joins the class and intimidates everyone, no one in the class knows how to deal with how mean she is. Then Wodney is able to outsmart her and protects the rest of the class from her bullying wrath. He is then seen as a classroom hero as he scares off the Camilla from class. The theme of this book is confidence and believing in yourself when others may not. This is an adorable book that I loved to read. It can be easily integrated into a lesson about the dangers of bullying as well as how to overcome an insecurity and staying confident in yourself. I was able to relate to this book as my little cousin always had a difficult time pronouncing his r's. What is sad is that he too was teased for it. After going to a speech therapist to fix the issue, he now is able to help other kids in his school work on their speech impediments which is pretty great at only 14 years old. In general, however, this book would be great for a class of first graders. I feel as though it is around that age where kids start to make fun of each other and it would teach them that everyone has their differences but it does not make them any worse or better than anyone else.

[Brianna Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Picture book

Reading Level: Early- transitional 5-8

Topics and Themes: Bullying, overcoming obstacles. Wodney is subjected to daily bullying because of his speech impediment, but ends up saving all of his classmates from an even bigger bully.

Curricular Use: Read-Aloud

Social: Deals with the issue of bullying. The students pick on Rodney until an even bigger bully comes to the school and picks on everyone. When Rodney runs off the bully during a game of Simon says all the other children realize he is a hero. The only problem is that the other bully just leaves and is never seen again so it does not resolve the issue of bullying in a positive manner. The way to handle bullying should not be to cast anyone out but to come to an agreement that helps everyone get treated well.

Literary Element: Irony, the children who bully Rodney then become the target of a bigger and meaner bully.

Text and Pictures: The text is not always written left to right, top to bottom. On a few pages the text is scattered on different parts of the page, this could be difficult for beginning readers. The pictures add to the story because they really represent what the text is saying.

[Brittney Griffith · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hooway for Wodney Wat" is a wonderful book about a small rat named Rodney who is attending school at PS 142 Elementary School for Rodents. The only thing is, Rodney cannot pronounce his "R"s and all of the other kids give him so much trouble about it. They trick him into using words that use r's like train, which for Rodney comes out as "twain'. Poor Rodney is so sad and alone at school from being bullied by his peers. But one day, PS 142 receives a new student, Camilla Capybara. She is bigger, meaner and smarter than everyone else in the classroom. However, she does not know that Rodney cannot pronounce his "R"s and this comes in handy one day when Rodney is picked to be the leader for a game of Simon Says. I won't give the whole story away, but in the end Rodney is the hero of his classroom.
I recommend this book to grades K-2. I think this book resonates with students of the younger grades where they are learning and struggling with pronunciation, but I also think this is highly appropriate at the beginning of the year for all elementary grades especially if you have a student in the classroom with any small troubles like speech, learning impairments, etc. This is a great book to help start set the tone for an inclusive classroom.

[Alex Tierney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooway For Wodney Wat is about a rat named Rodney who cannot pronounce the letter "r." The children at school make fun of him for this and Rodney feels very left out from all the activties that the other kids in his class do. One day a new student comes to class named Camilla Capybara who thinks that she is bigger, smarter and meaner than all of the other kids in the class. Rodney is scared of her, but when he becomes leader of Simon Says one day, Camilla does not understand that Rodney can't say his "r's" and does everything opposite of what he says. This book was very funny and used the pictures that were used showed the events that were happening very well. The author did not use any rhyming or special patterns of writing, but he did match the text with the pictures accurately. I think that this book would be a good choice to read to students. The pictures were vivid and funny, which would catch the students attention. Also the story itself was entertaining and would keep students engaged. The story has a lesson that you should treat everybody how you want to be treated. Also, that you should be comfortable with yourself and not let others try and bring you down.

[Darin Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many times to do we have students in our classroom who have been bullied? Who are the shy type, without a voice in the room?

In Hooway for Wodney Wat, Rodney Rat is just that: quiet, unassuming, and because he cannot pronounce the letter R, bullied by his classmates. Just when it cannot get any worse, a large, boisterous rat by the name of Camilla Capybara moves into the classroom, who is loud, mean, and very obnoxious. One day, Rodney, with his speech problem, is picked to lead the class in a game of Simon Says. He saves the day for the class as Camilla does some crazy things because she cannot understand Rodney like his classmates can. In the end, Rodney is celebrated, and learns that sometimes, different isn't a bad thing.

I gave this 5 stars for two reasons. One, everyone can relate to Rodney. At some point in our lives, we've felt different and for younger students, watching Rodney overcome his problem, standing up for himself in the process, is one they can relate to. The second reason, the bullying, is one that could be made into a class discussion about what the right and wrong behaviors are both inside and outside of the classroom.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rodney Rat can't pronounce his r's. The other rodents at school make fun of him. He hides in his jacket and doesn't have much confidence. A new rodent Camilla Capybara moves into class who is bigger, meaner and smarter. All of the rodents are scared of her. At recess Rodney is chosen to be the leader in Simon Says. He is scared to death she will make fun of him. Because he can't pronounce his r's what he actually is saying isn't what she thinks he is saying. Camilla does all sorts of funny things through out the book.

One of my favorite things about this book is when they are playing Simon Says. It's fun to hear what Camilla thinks Rodney is saying and figure out what he is really trying to say. One thing I thought was interesting about this book is that when Camilla starts doing funny things the other rodents start laughing at her. In the end she leaves and Rodney becomes the hero. At the beginning the kids were laughing at him and now they are laughing at someone else and Rodney is a hero because he tricked her into leaving and never coming back.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

We borrowed this book from our local library as part of a kit with a paperback book and CD. We enjoyed listening to the book narrated by Cheryl McMahon as we followed along with the book. Her narration was quite entertaining, especially with the characters Rodney and Camilla. While I will use character voices and ham it up with our girls, it's fun to listen to the professionals.

This tale tells how Rodney rids the class of a big bully simply through speaking with a lisp. It's somewhat of a strange story, but fun. And the illustrations are very adorable. We have enjoyed reading the Tacky stories by both Helen Lester and Lynn Munsinger and we will certainly look for more collaborations by these two women!

[Tiffany]

Hooray for Wodney Wat is a book about a young rat who has trouble pronouncing his R's. In school, the other children make fun of him. It makes him sad and he usually doesn't speak up in class because of this. However, when the teacher calls on him to lead the game, he finds his difficulties with prononucing he letter R actually ends up making him "The Hero." Though there is no rhyming, the book has an easy flow that makes it a nice read for children to enjoy. There are a lot of illustrations on each page. Each picture goes along with what the text is saying to give the child reading the book an idea of what is happening through the words and by seeing a picture. As I read the book, I found it amusing and fun to read. I thought it gave a great message at the end. Although Wodney had difficulties in pronouncing certain letters, eventually the students accept him for it and cheer for him when he plays "Simon Says" and takes down the bully. It promotes having confidence in yourself and not letting what others say to you bring you down.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Hooway for Wodney Wat is a great book to help teach about differences. It is the story of Rodney Rat who can’t pronounce his r’s. This means poor Rodney is Wodney Wat the Wodent. He is often teased in school and for this reason is very shy&doesn’t “squeak” up very often. Until one day when a new student came to class, Camilla Capybara. Camilla is big and she is mean. At recess Wodney’s name gets drawn to lead Simon Says. Everyone else in the class is use to Rodney’s speech but not Camilla. So everything thing that Rodney says, Camilla does wrong. His last command as Simon is “Go rest” but instead of saying rest of course he says “west” and Camilla decides to head west. And that’s how Rodney got rid of Camilla.
The illustrations are very helpful to the storyline. I loved all of the ones of Camilla doing the wrong thing and of course Rodney tucked into his jacket being shy.