To help me learn how to better engage in literary criticism, my wife encouraged me recently to read The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles and report on a few particular aspects thereof. Results follow.

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles (Julie (Andrews) Edwards, 1974) relates the journey of the three Potter children, guided by one Professor Savant from the local university. On a dare, the youngest, Lindy, knocks on the door of a reputedly haunted house while trick-or-treating with her brothers (Ben and Tom). The house turns out to the be residence of Prof. Savant, and he tells them of the Whangdoodle, a fantastic creature that roamed the earth many generations ago. However, as humanity became more rational and prone to doubt the existence of such creatures, it faced near-extinction and the last went into exile. The Professor takes the children on a quest to go to Whangdoodleland and see the Whangdoodle.

Central to the tale is imagination, and its driving force, observation. Imagination is the route to Whangdoodleland, and for their journey, the professor guides the children in honing their imaginations to be able to make the trip. Their initial training, however, was focused on observing, and being able to see and here and smell what is already present in their surroundings. This practice then enabled them to imagine more vividly — it is difficult to visualize what might be when one cannot see what is.

The book also shows how the children (and even the professor) mature and learn through their experiences. Lindy grows from a timid little girl to a courageous heroine. Tom was a typical annoying older brother in the beginning of the book, provoking and teasing Lindy, and cynical of the professor’s tall tales; by the end, he learns to be kind and believe. This is probably demonstrated most vividly in his relationship with the Whiffle Bird. The Whiffle Bird is one of the many unique creatures in Whangdoodleland; she is a large, colorful bird who only speaks when there is danger. When they first arrive, she attaches herself to Tom, and he is rather resentful of this. But when the bird is wounded defending the children in their final crossing to reach the Whangdoodle’s palace, Tom tenderly visits it during its convalescence.

Ben, the oldest, gently matures into a responsible young man, as he learns and finally leads his siblings to cross the great chasm guarding the way to the palace. The Professor rediscovers the capacities of his own imagination, and the Whangdoodle himself learns to get past his fear of man and welcome the children and, finally, their professor (though this last feat was not accomplished without some overstating of the facts by the Potters).

Finally, in their journey, the children encounter numerous dangers. Through them, they learn valuable skills which are readily applicable to real-world situations likely faced by both them and the readers. In their initial journey to Whangdoodleland, they meet a group of Sidewinders (creatures who seem to serve as the military or police force) who attempt to scare them away. The professor instructs them to stand up and face them, rather than running in terror. Similarly, they meet another group of nasties, the Gaboons. The Gaboons were styled after bullies, continually taunting the adventurers with all manner of names and insults. Again, the professor advised them to stand their ground and keep silent or return only with pleasantries. Returning insults merely provoked the Gaboons further, but if they were unable to discourage the children, they would give up and go on their way.

I believe that a significant role of children’s literature is to enable children to face their difficulties in a context separated from their native environment, and to thereby be equipped to better deal with those problems. In this, Whangdoodles succeeds admirably, depicting realistic ways of dealing with fear and mockery.

One unexpected element of Whangdoodles is its worthy (if a bit heavy-handed) commentary on the need for great wisdom and discretion as we proceed in our study of human genetics.

In the end, it was a fun read, filled with imagination and adventure, and seen through the eyes of some rather believable characters (who will need to be the subject of a future article).