Mr. Wellington

by David Rabe, Robert Andrew Parker (Illustrator)

An acclaimed playwright's first work for children...A gentle and thoroughly original animal story

Young Jonathan finds a small, frightened squirrel on the road and brings it home tucked inside his sneaker. But the squirrel named Mr. Wellington is weak and listless, and fearful of the unfamiliar surroundings. Told from alternating perspectives--Jonathan's and Mr. Wellington's--this beautifully written story, enhanced with pen-and-ink wash illustrations, has all the markings of an enduring classic animal tale.

Genres: Animals, Childrens

96 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2009

Reviews

[Dest · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story told from both the perspective of a squirrel and a boy named Jonathan (who I would guess is 12 or so). It's a small, square book with a cutesy cover, but it's actually pretty sophisticated in terms of both the writing and the subject matter (Jonathan finds the baby squirrel after it falls out of its tree, tries to take care of it, and eventually releases it back into the wild). Not too different from The Cats of Roxville Station.

I didn't finish it because I thought it was a little boring and I have such a big pile of books to get through.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

A simple story about a boy who rescues a baby squirrel, and then struggles with the fact that keeping the squirrel as a pet may not be best for the creature. I enjoyed the book's alternating viewpoints, especially the squirrel's dreamlike narratives. The illustrations add character and charm to the story.

[Christiane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had low expectations based on the super-cute cover but the story, told in alternative chapters from the boy and the squirrel's point of view, was surprisingly honest and realistic. Squirrels are wild animals who belong in the wild. A quick read with some real emotional depth to it.

[Beth Thames · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has very short chapters so will move along for kids. However, the reading level is rather high. In chapters that switch back-and0forth between Jonathan and Mr. Wellington (the squirrel) the reader learns what needs to be done when finding an injured wild animal.

[Naureen Oneale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story told through the eyes of a squirrel and a little boy who rescues the squirrel when he finds it hurt on the side of the road. He does research on the Internet to locate an animal rescue to take care of the sick squirrel. Cute story but it could have been developed a little more.

[Catherine Woodman]

Kind of a cute story about a young squirrel saved by a young man, and rehabbed till he can go back to the wild.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

We enjoyed the alternating perspectives between the young boy and the younger squirrel. Overall, we thought the book could have been better.