The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards

As I mentioned it took me a long time to actually start the book and, once it was started, it took a long time for me to finish it. I liked this book, but not really as much as I had hoped.

When the quest reaches its final climax none of the characters’ lives will ever be the same. The journey is filled with wondrous creatures both friendly and dangerous, but the children are now committed to finishing the journey one way or another regardless of the challenges thrown in their path. Along the way the children have much to learn, including relearning the very ways in which they look at the world.

The road to Whangdoodleland is not straightforward. The Potter’s initial interest turns into an alliance with their new friend Professor Savant to try to reach Whangdoodleland and meet the fanciful creature for themselves. This assertion is thrown into question when a dictionary provides a rather accurate definition of the word. Tom goes as far as to say that the Whangdoodle could not possible exist. The Potter children, of course, have not. When the children begin to discuss truly unusual animals, a stranger butts in with a straightforward question: “If you’re looking for something really unusual, have you considered a Whangdoodle?” Initially resistant to the idea, the trip proves quite enjoyable. The story starts when Ben, Tom and Lindy Potter are sent to the zoo by their parents. After starting the book (again) last month I made a promise that I would finish it this time even if it killed me. I have been meaning to read it for close to a decade, but things always got in the way. In between all of her amazing film credits, Julie Andrews wrote a book under her pen name Julie Andrews Edwards in 1974 called The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles. Oh, and she was Mary Poppins (and Millie) before Mary Poppins (and Thoroughly Modern Millie) got all trendy with Broadway show(s). More recently, Andrews has held her own next to the Plaza’s favorite resident in Eloise at the Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime. James Garner was attracted to her in Victor/Victoria (even when he thought she was a man). She told us that the hills were alive in The Sound of Music. Julie Andrews, it is safe to say, is very cool. The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles (1974) by Julie Andrews Edwards ( find it on Bookshop)

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards