Winnie and Waldorf Disobedience School

Reviewed by: Melissa Madigan MB - Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 7, 2017

Review

This book is a follow-up to the book Winnie and Waldorf about a Kindergarten-aged girl and her very best canine friend. In this tale, Waldorf, Winnie's lovable (albeit mischievous) bulldog gets into one heap of trouble after another. From eating Winnie's stuffed animals, to knocking people over as he chases pigeons through the park, Waldorf finally gets "enrolled" in Winnie's Disobedience School - a classroom set up via a desk in her bedroom. Winnie introduces him to his cubby (a cardboard box), "where he can put all his personal stuff during class," and assumes the role of teacher by reading him picture books, teaching him his ABC's, and - of course - music class, where Waldorf's low howl proves to be an excellent baritone. In math class, Waldorf excels at subtraction (by eating, one by one, a row of dog bones) - but for the same reason, has a bit of trouble with addition. Winnie's school even includes art and gym class, where the two of them paint and play tennis. But, during their outdoor play, they notice that the neighbor's dog is loose - and heading right for the street! Waldorf, knowing that no dog can resist joining in a game of tennis (or, rather, fetch with a tennis ball), passes the dog his ball and saves him from the dangers of running too close to the road. Humor abounds in the playfulness of this story, and readers of all ages will delight in the special friendship between the pair. Charming illustrations and bold text make it a fun choice for both a read-aloud or a lap-sit storytelling. Hope to see more books about these two!

Overall Book Score: very good