Official Review: Wizard of Wigwash by Kendall Stone

[LV2R]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Wizard of Wigwash" by Kendall Stone.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Wizard of Wigwash: The Adventures of Johnny the Penguin – Book One by Kendall Stone (Alastair Kendall and Ginny Stone) is a children’s fantasy fictional book. Ten-year-old Paul Balo has stinky breath and is bullied on the school bus, at school, and on school trips. After being bullied at the zoo, a big emperor penguin, named Johnny, starts talking to him and becomes his friend. They also befriend an unwanted dog and name him Polo.

Johnny takes Paul and Polo to Wigwash to see the wizard. Paul decides to go to Wigwash for one week instead of the school’s summer camp. They go through a time portal and go back 50 years in time. There, Paul meets Laura and quickly likes talking and being with her. After several days of waiting to see the wizard, they all go together and meet him. He is not exactly what they expected, but he is a good wizard and built Wigwash from the beginning. Paul and Laura’s curiosity get the better of them, and they are put in a difficult and dangerous situation. Things look bleak for Paul to ever return home safely and to his family. Who will rescue Paul and Laura?

There is an adventure, magic, fantasy, humor, tension, and a lot of imagination in this story. Both boys and girls would like this book the best. Even young and older adults would enjoy reading about the adventures in Wigwash. The issues of being bullied, having a disorder or handicap, and being fearful are addressed in this story.

My favorite part of the book was at the wizard’s birthday party. It was very magical! Things happened when they ate different types of food. One example was when Paul and Laura ate German Bratwurst; they both spoke German and understood each other!

I also liked Laura’s big long (made-up) words to express something. Some of them were “flumperhumper,” “awangtangtooma,” and “shoozers.” However, I least liked that some borderline profanity was used quite a few times. It did not seem to fit into a children’s story. I did not think it reflected the characters well. Some parents may not be comfortable with their children reading or hearing “damn” and “hell.” The other issue that some parents may not like was that Paul did not tell his parents he was going to go to Wigwash. They thought Paul went to the school’s summer camp. Besides these two issues that may not sit well with parents, the book was a delightful read.

I rate Wizard of Wigwash by Kendall Stone 3 out of 4 stars. I deducted one star because of the more than ten errors found. The book needs another round of editing, otherwise, I would rate it a 4 out of 4 stars. The book was imaginative, entertaining, and fun to read. Reading Wizard of Wigwash was “awangtangtooma”! I am looking forward to reading book two in the series.

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Wizard of Wigwash
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[Meg98]

This sounds like a fun read for children and certainly something I would have enjoyed as a kid! It is a shame about the errors. Hopefully, another round of editing can be done, and the book will be flawless! Thanks for the great review.

[Miller56]

Thanks for the review. This sounds like a fun book with some interesting made-up words. I don't think borderline profanity is appropriate in children's books. It sounds like a round of editing is necessary before this would be a great read.

[kandscreeley]

This sounds like such a cute book for young adults. It's a shame that the author felt any profanity was necessary. For my part, I think it's one I would enjoy. I love the made up words the author uses. Thanks.

[La Cabra]

The title of the book had me intrigued from the start. Your review is very well rounded! There is a lot in the book that I'd love for the kids in my family to read but the bit about profanity is quite inconvenient. I hope the author edits the book at some point and gets rid of that. Otherwise, I think it'd work for me. (Also, I feel that perhaps a new cover would help get the books off the shelves faster!)

[rumik]

I would be more concerned about the parents not knowing Paul is going to Wigwash than the profanity; this can definitely be a great book for kids once those issues have been remedied. Thanks for the great review!

[Maríe Wamakima]

Haha. The made up words are just hilarious. Yeah I agree a children's book should not have any profane words. Children pick up words real fast and it would be a shame that this great fantasy book is helping kids learn swear words.

[kdstrack]

I think children will enjoy this story. The talking penguin is a cute character. I agree with you comments about the borderline profanity. Great review!

[tristenb]

This sounds like a cute and interesting story. I kind of wish that the kid would have been bullied for something else, because I feel like bad breath is something that can be fixed. Either way though, I think the lesson is there all the same. I think that there are some things in the story that some parents might not appreciate, but I think this makes it more suitable for young adults rather than children. Thanks for the review!

[SHALLU RAWAL]

It sounds a fun read. I really like children books but, I am glad that it is suitable for both young and adult. Thanks for the review. I'll definitely try this one out.