WHICH ONE IS WHITNEY?

by James Stevenson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 20, 1990

Yes, there are dugongs--odd-shaped fish that Stevenson colors pink to look like little ocean-going pigs. Whitney Dugong is the one his mother describes to Mrs. Grouper as not having a distinguishing characteristic--which turns out to be an ironic reversal of the truth when Mrs. Grouper encounters him four times and concludes from his behavior that he is, in turn, each of his siblings. Perhaps this versatility makes him the clever one? Not always: it's just good luck that he clears away a forest of kelp singlehandedly; still, his winning race against Mort Mackerel is propelled by brains, not speed. There's a lot of wit and wisdom packed into these three brief chapters, together with some delicious wordplay--especially when everyone ""helps with the kelp."" The illustrations are perfect in one of the versatile Stevenson's usual styles; who else could make these blob-like faces so comically expressive?

Pub Date: Aug. 20, 1990

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Greenwillow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1990

Categories: CHILDREN'S