Wellington's Rainy Day

April 15, 2011

Beck's attempts to gross out readers continue with her latest, seemingly innocuous title, about a hungry dog.

Wellington's day is not going very well. The fire is out, his bowl is empty, his nose smarts from a scratch thanks to Honey the cat and his afternoon walk will be in the rain. And that meatloaf smell—it's too tempting to pass up. So, after a lengthy drink from the toilet, he devours his master's dinner...and the contents of the garbage can, which are described in all-too-vivid detail. As he lies belching, his arch-nemesis, Honey, takes the opportunity to torture him with threats of tattling. Welly's stomach just can't take it. With a great spew of synonyms and adjectives he vomits and then proceeds to lick it all up again. By the time he returns home from a rainy walk, he feels he is very deserving of punishment since he has ensured his master will be hungry. But when Honey gets the blame, his guilty feelings magically evaporate. Kerrigan's pencil-crayon and watercolor-wash illustrations portray a rather droll, floppy-eared dog and a spiteful cat. Thankfully, her artwork is not as detail-oriented as the text.

This is one for only the strong of stomach or Xtreme dog lovers. (Picture book. 4-8)

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September 1, 2011

PreS-Gr 3-Wellington is a peckish hound who lives with Honey, a cat, and Master Horace. During one of Horace's naps, Welly devours the meatloaf, burying the empty pan in Honey's litter box; drinks from the toilet; and swallows the contents of the kitchen garbage can. The two pets have a tumultuous relationship, and the cat is determined to expose Wellington; she even taunts him with threats of a dreaded bath. Master Horace awakens from his nap and takes the dog for a walk. When they return home, they discover that Honey has excavated the empty pan and is sitting in it on the hall rug. Wellington fears that his misdeed will be disclosed, but Master Horace reprimands the cat for eating the meatloaf and gives Wellington a bone for being a good dog. While there are references to past conflicts between the pets, some readers might be confused by the animosity these animals have for one another. The somewhat rambling text is peppered with gross-out incidents, such as Wellington emptying the contents of his stuffed belly and then licking up the mess. Kerrigan's comical, softly hued crayon and watercolor cartoon illustrations portray a seemingly clueless hound and a sneaky, fluffy orange cat. Readers looking for a better book about a dog and cat relationship may want to check out Peter McCarty's Hondo and Fabian (Holt, 2002).-Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI

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