What do you think?
Rate this book
Whobert Whover, Owl Detective
Help Whobert Whover, Owl Detective, keep his woods safe in this hilarious who-who-dun-it.
What happened to Perry the Possum? Whobert Whover, Owl Detective, is on the case!
Did Debbie the Duck whack Perry with her wicked wings?
Or did Freddie the Frog soak Perry in his sickening slime?
And what if the culprit is closer to home than Whobert expects?
What happened to Perry the Possum? Whobert Whover, Owl Detective, is on the case!
Did Debbie the Duck whack Perry with her wicked wings?
Or did Freddie the Frog soak Perry in his sickening slime?
And what if the culprit is closer to home than Whobert expects?
40 pages, Hardcover
First published July 18, 2017
2 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
July 25, 2017
Yup, it's a hoot! I especially like the way careful readers will see the visual story unfolding in the background behind Whobert in this whodunit with a twist.
October 3, 2017
Whobert Whover, Owl Detective, was on the lookout for his next case. He ALWAYS tried to keep his neck of the woods safe.
Overzealous neighborhood-watch volunteer, Whobert Whover (Herbert Hoover) finds Perry the possum lying dead in the woods. Who killed him?
We, the audience - the children - can see that Perry is still alive (he keeps looking at Whobert during Whobert's postmortem examination of Perry's body). But Whobert thinks he is dead.
"Poor Perry!" Whobert said. "I will find out who, who done it!"
Whobert ruffled his feathers.
"I need to find a clue. A good detective ALWAYS finds a clue."
Then he finds his own feathers which leads him to conclude Debbie Duck killed Perry with her wings.
Debbie gasped. "What a quack! It wasn't me, Whobert! It's true! Not guilty: you see, it was - "
"Who?" Whobert cried.
"Who, who done it? I need to find an eyewitness. A good detective ALWAYS finds an eyewitness.
He decides a fish is an eyewitness, but they have trouble communicating.
He then accuses a frog named Freddie, who protests his innocence.
Freddie croaked. "I'm MOIST, not slimy! It wasn't me, Whobert! It's true! Not guilty: you see, it was - "
"Who?" Whobert cried.
"Who, who done it?"
Then he accuses Becky Beaver. For some reason.
Becky huffed. "UnbeBEAVERable! It wasn't me, Whobert! It's true! Not guilty: you see, it was - "
The 'mystery' is finally solved when Perry stands up and accuses Whobert himself of being the one who 'did it.' Perry was frightened by Whobert's talons, so he played dead.
Whobert laughed. "Terrifying talons? These are just my feet. They're used for perching atop trees as I look for evildoers. See?"
Whobert proudly flashed his talons.
Perry, not expecting this, falls into a faint (plays dead?) again. Whobert - who apparently is more deeply stupid than we suspected earlier, vows to find out 'Who done it?'
THE END.
...
PROS
- Cute illustrations.
- Herbert Hoover, Whobert Whover LOL However, only adults will get this joke, children won't.
- Children like outsmarting people, they will be delighted that they are smarter than this dumb owl.
- Animals have actual names (Becky, Debbie, Freddie) instead of being named Beaver, Duck, and Frog. A+. Extra points.
CONS
- Whobert is very dumb.
- Overzealous neighborhood-watch volunteers.
Tl;dr - Great illustrations, mildly funny story. A little exasperating.
AGES: 4 and under.
Overzealous neighborhood-watch volunteer, Whobert Whover (Herbert Hoover) finds Perry the possum lying dead in the woods. Who killed him?
We, the audience - the children - can see that Perry is still alive (he keeps looking at Whobert during Whobert's postmortem examination of Perry's body). But Whobert thinks he is dead.
"Poor Perry!" Whobert said. "I will find out who, who done it!"
Whobert ruffled his feathers.
"I need to find a clue. A good detective ALWAYS finds a clue."
Then he finds his own feathers which leads him to conclude Debbie Duck killed Perry with her wings.
Debbie gasped. "What a quack! It wasn't me, Whobert! It's true! Not guilty: you see, it was - "
"Who?" Whobert cried.
"Who, who done it? I need to find an eyewitness. A good detective ALWAYS finds an eyewitness.
He decides a fish is an eyewitness, but they have trouble communicating.
He then accuses a frog named Freddie, who protests his innocence.
Freddie croaked. "I'm MOIST, not slimy! It wasn't me, Whobert! It's true! Not guilty: you see, it was - "
"Who?" Whobert cried.
"Who, who done it?"
Then he accuses Becky Beaver. For some reason.
Becky huffed. "UnbeBEAVERable! It wasn't me, Whobert! It's true! Not guilty: you see, it was - "
The 'mystery' is finally solved when Perry stands up and accuses Whobert himself of being the one who 'did it.' Perry was frightened by Whobert's talons, so he played dead.
Whobert laughed. "Terrifying talons? These are just my feet. They're used for perching atop trees as I look for evildoers. See?"
Whobert proudly flashed his talons.
Perry, not expecting this, falls into a faint (plays dead?) again. Whobert - who apparently is more deeply stupid than we suspected earlier, vows to find out 'Who done it?'
THE END.
...
PROS
- Cute illustrations.
- Herbert Hoover, Whobert Whover LOL However, only adults will get this joke, children won't.
- Children like outsmarting people, they will be delighted that they are smarter than this dumb owl.
- Animals have actual names (Becky, Debbie, Freddie) instead of being named Beaver, Duck, and Frog. A+. Extra points.
CONS
- Whobert is very dumb.
- Overzealous neighborhood-watch volunteers.
Tl;dr - Great illustrations, mildly funny story. A little exasperating.
AGES: 4 and under.
December 28, 2017
Help Whobert Whover, Owl Detective, keep his woods safe in this hilarious who-who-dun-it.
What happened to Perry the Possum? Whobert Whover, Owl Detective, is on the case!
Did Debbie the Duck whack Perry with her wicked wings?
Or did Freddie the Frog soak Perry in his sickening slime?
And what if the culprit is closer to home than Whobert expects?
What happened to Perry the Possum? Whobert Whover, Owl Detective, is on the case!
Did Debbie the Duck whack Perry with her wicked wings?
Or did Freddie the Frog soak Perry in his sickening slime?
And what if the culprit is closer to home than Whobert expects?
June 1, 2017
Whobert Whover, Owl Detective is Jason Gallaher’s debut children’s books. I love reading debut children’s books.
Owls, known as wise, intelligent creatures, would make great detectives, but not Whobert Whover. Whobert misses clues right in front of his big bright eyes. A wise owl would consider an opossum’s fight or flight reaction: to fall over, stiffen, and play dead. Not Whobert. He looks for clues in, on, and around Perry, never noticing Perry’s changing facial expressions. He doesn’t notice Perry trying to slip away or the effect he has on Perry himself.
Whobert Whover never quits. No matter the evidence, the missed clues, and the suspects’ denials Whobert never gives up. Persistence is a good quality.
The illustrations make the story. Jess Pauwels did an excellent job with Perry. His sneak-peeks are hilarious. Pauwels brings Whobert to life adding humor in the little details. Readers will need to be observant to catch the details Pauwels added to her version of Whobert’s story. Being observant is a good skill to learn. Whobert Whover can help young readers hone their observation skills while they laugh at his goofy antics.
Originally reviewed on Kid Lit Reviews. Read full review and see illustrtions here: http://bit.ly/WhobertWhoverReview-PPBF
Owls, known as wise, intelligent creatures, would make great detectives, but not Whobert Whover. Whobert misses clues right in front of his big bright eyes. A wise owl would consider an opossum’s fight or flight reaction: to fall over, stiffen, and play dead. Not Whobert. He looks for clues in, on, and around Perry, never noticing Perry’s changing facial expressions. He doesn’t notice Perry trying to slip away or the effect he has on Perry himself.
Whobert Whover never quits. No matter the evidence, the missed clues, and the suspects’ denials Whobert never gives up. Persistence is a good quality.
The illustrations make the story. Jess Pauwels did an excellent job with Perry. His sneak-peeks are hilarious. Pauwels brings Whobert to life adding humor in the little details. Readers will need to be observant to catch the details Pauwels added to her version of Whobert’s story. Being observant is a good skill to learn. Whobert Whover can help young readers hone their observation skills while they laugh at his goofy antics.
Originally reviewed on Kid Lit Reviews. Read full review and see illustrtions here: http://bit.ly/WhobertWhoverReview-PPBF
July 8, 2017
Hilarious and adorable story about an owl detective who stumbles across what he believes to be a grizzly scene and vows to solve the mystery of who... who-done-it! Gallaher's character Whobert dutifully interrogates all the suspects in the forest, who claim to be innocent but help point him in the direction of the truth. A super fun and silly story, sure to inspire little sleuths to investigate the mysteries around them too. The ending is hilarious. And I adore the illustrations by Jess Pauwels, a Belgian illustrator whose work is just so expressive and funny in its own right. What a great debut!
June 16, 2017
Whobert Whover is on the case! Missing clues but never quitting, this adorable owl detective follows the trail to find out what happened to Perry the possum. With playful and fun illustrations, the supporting cast of forest characters are endearing. Sure to please any young sleuth!
February 13, 2017
Adorable and hilarious! This is sure to get any kid laughing. The art matches perfectly with the prose, and you can find gags on every page. A very cute whodunit, with an ending fit for anyone with a sense of humor.
March 1, 2017
Whobert Whover is on the case in this cute and humorous detective tale as the owl detective follows a trail of suspects to determine WHO WHO is responsible for Perry the Possum's strange stillness.
April 13, 2017
As much fun as I hoped! Nice story-time length text with animal sounds/puns and fun artwork with hidden "clues" for astute readers.
February 24, 2025
Oh no! What happened to Perry the Opossum?
Detective Whobert Whover the Owl is on the case!
From finding clues, to searching for suspects, trying to get answers from possible witnesses, the case seems like the biggest red herring (and not the fish) or dead-end (oh no, not Perry!)
Can Whobert the Owl find out HOO...I mean, who, could have hurt Perry?
Playful illustrations by Jess Pauwels accompanies Jason June's kid-friendly text, giving a bird's eye view of the animals in the woods (yes, pun intended), being careful about pointing fingers, understanding some animal habits, providing humor particularly in Perry's case (the unspoken dialogue of Perry's side-eye 4th wall-break glances at the readers are hilarious), and just a feel-good mystery.
Detective Whobert Whover the Owl is on the case!
From finding clues, to searching for suspects, trying to get answers from possible witnesses, the case seems like the biggest red herring (and not the fish) or dead-end (oh no, not Perry!)
Can Whobert the Owl find out HOO...I mean, who, could have hurt Perry?
Playful illustrations by Jess Pauwels accompanies Jason June's kid-friendly text, giving a bird's eye view of the animals in the woods (yes, pun intended), being careful about pointing fingers, understanding some animal habits, providing humor particularly in Perry's case (the unspoken dialogue of Perry's side-eye 4th wall-break glances at the readers are hilarious), and just a feel-good mystery.
April 25, 2023
Whobert Whover, Owl Detective, sees Perry the possum sprawled on the ground and is determined to find out "Who, who done it!" A gently humorous story with a silly detective who hunts for clues, questions suspects, and makes a number of accusations. A fun picture book to introduce the mystery genre to the youngest readers.
July 26, 2017
Fun mystery for picture book audience!
May 23, 2019
Cute book but did anyone else notice how “possum” is spelled wrong? I just can’t get past that.
July 14, 2021
“There’s been a murder! I must accuse everyone I see!”
“STOP TELLING PEOPLE I’M DEAD.”
“Sometimes I can still hear his voice. Now whoo done it!?”
“STOP TELLING PEOPLE I’M DEAD.”
“Sometimes I can still hear his voice. Now whoo done it!?”
November 14, 2021
I was pleasantly surprised at the conversation prompted from this story!
October 2, 2017
Kids will giggle at Whobert Whover's well meaning, but perhaps over-enthusiastic sleuthing. Pauwel's bold character design and bright illustrations perfectly compliment Gallaher's clever text. Whobert is sure to be everyone's favorite detective! All your little owls will agree as they Who Who hoot along!
August 10, 2017
Cute picture book about an overzealous owl detective who can't quite see what's right under his beak! Kids will enjoy the repetition and I can see them repeating the "Who" with me as I read it to them.
Read
July 24, 2017Clever idea. Also love that the author "fell in love with detective work while watching Blue's Clues."
July 22, 2017
Adorable WHOdunnit book!
July 27, 2017
Very cute story, beautifully and colorfully illustrated!
July 20, 2017
Whobert would be a delightful read aloud.
July 30, 2017
Super fun mystery about a bird-brain detective. The text and the illustrations are paired perfectly together.
November 23, 2017
I liked the vibrant colors and the illustrations, but I didn't like Whobert's personality. I am sure many kids will find this entertaining because they can outsmart the not too observant owl. But the part I don't like is his brusqueness in making accusations and then his lack of apology for all of his mistakes. He is just not kind.
January 12, 2019
Look at the illustrations carefully, not only to follow the story, but to see what is really going on!
KidLit Programming Guides has activities for use with this book. :)
http://www.curiouscitydpw.com/2017/07...
KidLit Programming Guides has activities for use with this book. :)
http://www.curiouscitydpw.com/2017/07...
June 18, 2017
Full of puns. Share with school age kids who might get it.
From advanced reader copy.
From advanced reader copy.
September 11, 2017
Poor little possum, who made him fall over and play dead? Who could it be? Whobert Whover is on the case. He will find out. The illustrations are great and colorful. Kids will love this one.
August 6, 2017
When Whobert the owl finds what appears to be a dead possum, he immediately sets out to solve the case. Readers are in on a secret – the opossum isn’t really dead. In fact, he opens his eyes whenever Whobert isn’t looking. Meanwhile, Whobert follows the usual path of detectives; he looks for clues, accuses suspects, follows a getaway trail, and even finds a literal red herring (a red fish that appears to have information but is ultimately unhelpful). As the animals he encounters try to tell him that he’s the one responsible, he interrupts, each time using the repetitive phrase, “Who, who done it?” The possum finally jumps up and tells Whobert that, “You did it!” It was Whobert’s terrifying talons that caused the possum’s reaction. However, Whobert doesn’t believe him. He holds up his talons to show they are just for grasping branches. The reappearance of the scary talons sends the possum back into his faint, starting the delightfully oblivious Whobert once again looking for a culprit. Pure fun. Recommended especially for librarians and elementary teachers of kindergarten or first grade to use to introduce the mystery genre.
October 25, 2018
In this hilarious mystery picture book, we meet the very clueless Whobert Owl who goes on a “whoo”-dunnit hunt to find out who koshed his friend, Perry the Possum.
With each creature he interrogates, the reader comes to realize that all is not what it seems to be! Perry is very much alive, and if there is one case that needs solving, Whobert might actually have the answer!
Not only did I enjoy this quirky story, I also loved the illustrations in this book! They complement the story perfectly and made the book delightful and funny. The visual clues make the story easy to follow for young readers and the characters make the story fun and engaging!
You need to read it! It’s a hoot!
With each creature he interrogates, the reader comes to realize that all is not what it seems to be! Perry is very much alive, and if there is one case that needs solving, Whobert might actually have the answer!
Not only did I enjoy this quirky story, I also loved the illustrations in this book! They complement the story perfectly and made the book delightful and funny. The visual clues make the story easy to follow for young readers and the characters make the story fun and engaging!
You need to read it! It’s a hoot!
September 25, 2017
Hoover always tries to keep his neck of the woods safe. Then he discovers Perry the possum lying awfully still. Whobert chases down witnesses, each one passing the blame. “Not guilty. You see it was…” Who, Who, Whodunnit? Jason Gallaher had me laughing at the title and the giggles never stopped. Jess Pauwels’ hilarious illustrations add even more character to Whobert and his forest friends. (The bulging eyeballs alone give off every expression from surprise to accusation to eye-rolling embarrassment to...death!) Readers will have a blast trying to sort out this wacky mystery.
August 26, 2017
Who could have done this to Perry the Possum?? Rest assured that Whobert Whover is on the case, and he'll stop at nothing to find the culprit!
This is a fresh, new mystery that kids will LOVE solving. It has plenty of silliness, puns galore, and missed clues in the illustrations that let young readers become detectives themselves. Plus, it's hard not to love Whobert and the cast of woodland suspects.
This is a fresh, new mystery that kids will LOVE solving. It has plenty of silliness, puns galore, and missed clues in the illustrations that let young readers become detectives themselves. Plus, it's hard not to love Whobert and the cast of woodland suspects.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews