Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Babar and the Wully-Wully
Picture Book Series
For ages 5 to 7
Abrams, 2001 ISBN: 978-0810943971
One day while Pom, Flora, and Alexander are out walking they come across a small furry creature. Pom tells his brother and sister that the animal is a Wully-Wully and when they get back to Celesteville, Babar, Celeste and the others are all very excited to see what the little elephant children have found.
Soon the Wully-Wully is settled in with Babar’s family, playing with the children, sharing in the family mealtimes and having a wonderful and interesting time. All goes well until the day when the children take the Wully-Wully into the country for a picnic. Before the little elephants have a chance to do anything the wicked rhinoceros, Rataxes, appears from behind a bush, snatches up the Wully-Wully, and drives off with him. The little elephants and Zephir are furious about what has happened and are determined that they are going to get their beloved Wully-Wully back. Little do they know that their quest is not going to be as easy as they thought and that the Rataxas and his followers will not give up the Wully-Wully without a fight.
In this charming adventure Babar’s children show us how resourceful and clever they can be. More importantly though, they discover how important it is to share something precious with others and how wrong it is to impose ones will on another creature. It would seem too that sometimes it is much easier to fight with others than it is to get along with them.
Important messages wrapped up in a good story make this an excellent picture book to share with children.
