Flo & Wendell Explore

July 14, 2014
The Weimeraner siblings from 2013’s Flo & Wendell embark on a close-to-home camping trip, with Wegman again using photographs for the dogs’ heads and loosely painting their bodies and clothing in gouache. Nowhere does the dogs’ personalities shine more than in the planning stage: Flo’s long packing list includes a tent, poles, a sleeping bag, and a flashlight, while Wendell’s is just a picture of the tiny hatchet he’s eager to use. Wegman’s understated narration provides lots of dry humor as the dogs test their canoeing skills, survive a “bear” encounter, and end their adventure the best way possible, toasting marshmallows: “Wendell liked his incinerated.” Ages 3–5.

October 1, 2014

K-Gr 2-Wegman, who has entertained viewers and readers for decades with his whimsical works featuring photographs and videos of Weimaraners in humorous poses, has penned another picture book, a follow-up to his adorable Flo & Wendell (Dial, 2013). Puppy Flo takes her younger brother, Wendell, on a camping trip. The two pitch a tent, go fishing, take a canoe ride, and encounter a bit of adventure before returning home. Wegman mixes photographs of the puppies' faces with gouache paintings to portray their bodies and surroundings, and their sweetly serious expressions will elicit smiles and laughter from adults and children alike. The smudgy illustrations, with visible strokes and bright colors, have an endearingly messy, childlike quality, from the dab of pink that represents the bow on Flo's head to the splotches of blue, pink, and yellow among the trees. The narrative is upbeat and enthusiastic, ending on a reassuring note, and there's enough excitement here to keep kids engaged-the canines' canoe approaching a waterfall, for example. The sophisticated sense of humor that Wegman is known for is on display, but it's entirely age appropriate ("They let all the fish go. All except for one small tuna from a can, which they ate for lunch."). Another fun outing with this pair of winsome Weimaraners.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal

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