If Wendell Had a Walrus

If Wendell Had a WalrusIf Wendell Had a Walrus by Lori Mortensen, Matt Phelan
Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) on April 17th 2018
ISBN: 1627796029
Pages: 32
Goodreads
four-stars

If Wendell Had a Walrus is the story of a young boy with fair skin and red hair who sees a cloud shaped like a walrus and decided that he simply must have a walrus as a pet. Unfortunately, the pet store doesn’t seem to have any in stock, so Wendell writes a letter asking for a walrus to come be his pet, places it in a bottle, and throws it into the sea. While there, he meets Morrell, a boy with brown skin and curly brown hair, who is throwing a bottle into the ocean in attempt to get a whale as a pet. They decide to spend time together while they wait and become friends. Mortensen has written a sweet story full of gentle humor and good friends. Phelan’s pencil and watercolor illustrations perfectly capture the soft, friendly nature of the story and include funny jokes for readers to catch. Recommended.

Reviewed by Sarah Cropley, Scarborough Public Library. 

four-stars