Review Detail

Wheetle is about a helpful wagon that always helps his bug friends, even when it is hard and even when there are things Wheetle is excited to do instead. When things go wrong, his friends are there to help, and Wheetle learns it is okay to say no. The illustrations are rich in detail and feel whimsical in style. I do have questions about how the wagon came to be and why there are no humans. I also wonder how his friends helping him get to do what he wants to do when he is hurt leads to an understanding of setting boundaries. It feels like a sentence or two of internal dialogue may help the young reader understand why this is a good and acceptable thing to do. Overall, the tone of the text is gentle, and the theme of helping others is a worthy concept, making for a nice story.