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Summary
Summary
Wemberly worried about everything. Big things. Little things. And things in between. Then it was time for school to start. And Wemberly worried even more. If you ever worry (or know someone who does), this is the book for you.
Wemberly worried about spilling her juice, about shrinking in the bathtub, even about snakes in the radiator. She worried morning, noon, and night. "Worry, worry, worry," her family said. "Too much worry."
And Wemberly worried about one thing most of all: her first day of school. But when it's time to go back to school and she meets a fellow worrywart in her class, Wemberly realizes that school is too much fun to waste time worrying!
This warm and comforting back-to-school favorite is from Kevin Henkes, the nationally bestselling and celebrated creator of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Kitten's First Full Moon, and Chrysanthemum.
"This winning heroine speaks to the worrywart in everyone." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Author Notes
Kevin Henkes was born in Racine, Wis. in 1960 and graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. One of four children in his family, Henkes grew up with aspirations of being an artist. As a junior in high school, one of Henkes's teachers awakened his interest in writing. Falling in love with both writing and drawing, Henkes realized that he could do both at the same time as a children's book author and illustrator.
At the age of 19, Henkes went to New York City to get his first book, All Alone, published. Since that time, he has written and illustrated dozens of picture books including Chrysanthemum, Protecting Marie, and A Weekend with Wendell. A recurring character in several of Henkes's books is Lily, an outrageous, yet delightful, individualist. Lily finds herself the center of attention in the books Chester's Way, Julius, the Baby of the World, and Lily's Purple Plastic Purse.
A Weekend With Wendell was named Children's Choice Book by the Children's Book Council in 1986. He recieved the Elizabeth Burr Award for Words of Stone in 1993. Owen was named a Caldicott Honor in 1994. The Year of Billy Miller was named a Newbery Honor book in 2014.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Henkes once again puts his finger on the pulse of young children, combining good storytelling, careful characterization, and wonderfully expressive artwork to create an entertaining and reassuring picture book that addresses a common concern. Wemberly, a quiet and introverted mouse, spends all of her time worrying about big things (will her parents disappear in the middle of the night?), little things (spilling juice at the table), and things in between (will she shrink during her bath?). Despite the patient support of her family, she still frets that a tree will fall on her house or that she will lose her beloved doll. As if she doesn't have enough to stew about, the anticipated beginning of nursery school opens up a whole new world of woe. Happily, the first-day jitters are soon diminished with the help of an understanding teacher, lots of fun activities, and a new friend. In the watercolor-and-black-pen illustrations, Wemberly is depicted as a white mouse with big pink ears; her always-serious expression and the gray spot that covers one eye make her seem particularly vulnerable. While her parents' furrowed brows and affectionate embraces convey their concern for their daughter, Wemberly's feisty grandmother provides a bit of comic relief (she wears a sweatshirt that reads, "Go With The Flow"). Told with sensitivity and filled with perfectly chosen details, this story will speak to young worrywarts everywhere, and may provide some comfort to those about to begin nursery school or kindergarten.-Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Henkes (Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse) introduces another wonderfully appealing child-mouse with a stubborn habit: worrying. Wemberly, a shy white mouse with gray spots, always feels nervous whether at home or away. "At the playground, Wemberly worried about/ the chains on the swings,/ and the bolts on the slide,/ and the bars on the jungle gym." She tells her father, "Too rusty. Too loose. Too high," while sitting on a park bench watching the other mice play. Her security blanket, a rabbit doll named Petal (whose spot over the left eye matches her own), rarely leaves her grip. Henkes adroitly juggles the main narrative, hand-lettered asides and watercolor-and-ink imagery of the young pessimist and her supportive parents; each element contributes a different strength. For instance, as he lists Wemberly's worries, "Big things" heads the list, paired with a vignette of the heroine checking on her parents in the middle of the night with a flashlight, "I wanted to make sure you were still here." He later shows how Wemberly's anxieties peak at the start of nursery school with huge text that dwarfs tiny illustrations. At this overwhelming moment, Wemberly meets another girl mouse, Jewel, who turns out to be a kindred spirit (she even carries her own worn doll). Henkes offers no pat solutions, handling the material with uncanny empathy and gentleness; while playing with Jewel, "Wemberly worried. But no more than usual. And sometimes even less." This winning heroine speaks to the worrywart in everyone. Ages 4-up. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Preschool, Primary) Worrywart Wemberly is the newest of Kevin Henkes's distinctly individual yet universal picture-book mice characters. The dizzying, almost psychedelic jacket image of an anxiety-ridden Wemberly-looking as much like a deer caught in headlights as a mouse can-sets the tone. Wemberly, a sensitive soul, is beset with fears, both big and small. She worries about everything: What if she shrinks in the bathtub? What if the tree in the front yard falls on her house? What if no one comes to her birthday party? Or worse: what if too many mice come and there isn't enough cake? Thank goodness her stuffed rabbit Petal is always there for some comforting ear-rubbing. The format is the same as in Henkes's previous books: with text and art perfectly integrated, the vibrant panel illustrations help tell the story, and small asides extend the text. As always, Henkes zeroes in on a familiar childhood emotion-feeling helpless in an uncontrollable world- and brings it compassionately to the surface. Although Wemberly's phobias are catalogued at too great a length and the story's main conflict-the dreaded first day of school-isn't introduced until halfway through the story, the satisfying resolution offers hope for both the timid and the brave among us. Thanks to her perceptive teacher, Wemberly embarks on a new friendship, and by the end of the day, a better-adjusted but still-careful Wemberly leaves school with her friend, the equally cautious Jewel, and assures her teacher that she will come back tomorrow. Like rubbing Petal's ears or finding a friend, Henkes's picture books make finding your way in the world a little less daunting. k.f. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
As a chronic worrier and an extremely anxious young mouse, life is hard for Wemberly. Her worries range from big life issueswhat will she do if her parents disappearto the mundanewhat to do if she spills juice on her special doll Petal? Unfortunately her parents, although concerned, are not much help, merely telling her to stop worrying so much, rather than teaching her how to cope with her anxieties. And Wemberlys well-meaning grandmother just tells her to loosen up and have some fun. Every aspect of life raises new worries for Wemberlyshe worries in bed in the morning and evenings, worries as she plays in the yard or reads in a big comfy chair, and worries about the equipment in the playground falling apart. Soon the biggest worry ever in Wemberlys young life rears its ugly headnursery school is on the horizon. The concomitant list of worries it engenders is Wemberlys longest ever (cleverly depicted by a double-paged spread featuring larger and larger type against a background of question marks). The school worries are typical going-to-school fearswhat if Wemberly cant find the bathroom when she needs it, what if shes the only one who has brought her doll to school, and so on. Funnily, Wemberlys parents dont seem to have prepared her very well for starting schoolher worries could have been easily addressed had they told her more about what to expect. But amazingly (and not very believably) things go wonderfully well at school after Wemberly meets a kindred spirit, another worried little mouse named Jewel with whom she becomes fast friends. In an overly pat ending, Wemberly happily goes home at the end of her first day of school, already looking forward to the second day. Henkess best worksChrysanthemum (1991) and Lilys Purple Plastic Purse (1996), among othersare masterpieces, capturing and distilling the essence of universal childhood experiences. Unfortunately, Wemberly Worried doesnt fall into this category. Its hard to buy that her personality could undergo so radical a change just because she finds a new friend. Surely a new friendship would bring with it a whole new set of worries. The reader actually feels sorry for Wemberly, who doesnt seem to be enjoying life very much. Maybe some mouse therapy is called for. (Picture book. 4-7)
Booklist Review
Ages 4^-6. Wemberly, a little mouse girl, worries about big things, little things, and everything in between. If the radiator makes a noise, Wemberly wonders if there's a snake inside it. On Halloween, Wemberly, dressed as a butterfly, worries that there will be too many butterflies in the parade. When she's the only one, she worries about that, too. Henkes' catalogue of Wemberly's worries goes on a little too long, but on the plus side, each woe is an opportunity for Henkes' special pictures, which are played for both amusement and recognition, with each detail enhancing the total concept. Equal attention is paid to the expressions on Wemberly's face. Who knew there were so many nuances of worried? There's concern as Wemberly's stuffed animal, Petal, goes around in the washer; despair when Petal goes missing; and contained terror as the first day of school approaches. Happily, Wemberly meets a new friend named Jewel at school (and Petal meets Jewel's stuffed cat, Niblet), and suddenly the world doesn't seem quite so scary anymore. In many ways, Wemberly is the flip side of Henkes' sassy Lilly. As much as little ones love Lilly, the 'fraidy cats of the world will see themselves in this winsome worrywart. --Ilene Cooper