Wheres Wallace

Rating:
Summary: Better than "Where's Waldo", a shame it's out of print.
Review: As the predecesor to "Where's Waldo", this book is fun, lively and just plain great to look at. The story of a little orangutan who wonders about life outside the zoo is a visual treat. Wallace loves his life in the zoo but takes every opportunity to visit places like the beach, a ballgame, a department store and other exciting places. In each picture, Wallace must be found; for those truly observant readers, a host of other characters appear in each picture as well. Would love to find this book for my children as I loved it as a child. A shame it's out of print, one can always hope.

Rating:
Summary: What's better than pen and ink Hilary Knight? Full color
Review: Being the big Hilary Knight fan, I was happy to see that this book has been reprinted for those of us who were not around the first time it came out. Yay! The artwork in this book is classic Knight, and the story is fun and engaging (and predates Where's Waldo by almost three decades.) I am thrileld to see Knight finally getting his due, and I sure wouldn't mind seeing a sequel to this book either.. hint hint. Wallace is actually more innocent and likable than Eloise, so not even the reader is too frustrated that he keeps escaping. After all, with the world that Knight has created, how could we not want to get out and explore as well?

The pictures alone are fun to look at. Kids will enjoy spending time looking at the pictures (well, I did too...)

Rating:
Summary: Ovations for Outrageous Orange Orangutan Outings!
Review: This book clearly deserves more than five stars.

Like all of the great children's books, this one succeeds at several levels. The story creates a connection for the reader or listener between humans and animals at a caring, considerate level that can provide a model for human relations as well. It also succeeds as an adventure story, along the lines of a gigantic hide-and-go-seek game. At another level, it helps the reader or viewer become more observant with an early version of Where's Waldo? and I Spy. Finally, the book shows the potential for all to enjoy themselves more by cooperating to expand curiosity and exploration.

The book begins with the relationship between Wallace, an orangutan in a little zoo in a big busy city, and his keeper, Mr. Frumbee. The two are very attached to each other. They eat, read, and play games together . . . almost like parent and child. Mr. Frumbee even keeps Wallace's money for him in a bank. Then one day, the door of the cage is left ajar and Wallace escapes with his bank to buy some fine clothes. Seven more escapes follow, each following a discussion about the outside world that interests Wallace. For each of the eight escapes, Hilary Knight provides a wonderfully detailed two-page spread where you are encouraged to find Wallace. If you cannot, for some reason, he tells you where Wallace is on the next page. After you tire of this game or memorize the locations, Wallace has 6 companions in each of the panoramas that you can locate, as well. These illustrations will remind you of the best of the Richard Scarry drawings in their beautiful detail and colorations.

Along the way, Wallace is found each time by Mr. Frumbee, and they manage to spend a little time having fun with each other before returning to the zoo. What a nice counter model to the usual outrage and screaming of the caregiver who is looking for the lost child! Wallace finds himself in a park having a picnic, a department store buying clothes, a natural history museum with a dinosaur skeleton, a three ring circus, a baseball park, a midway at an amusement park, and an apartment building near the zoo.

The first hint that this could be a great book comes when you see that the story and panoramas are by Hilary Knight, the famed illustrator of the four Eloise stories.

The second hint comes quickly thereafter when you read Judith Viorst's description of her copy of the book, acquired in 1964 when it was first published. Her "original copy . . . [is] chewed on, dribbled on, spilled on, exhaustively read." Now what more could you hope for from a children's book?

The third hint hits you when you open the first panorama and find yourself engrossed in the beautifully detailed, small drawings across the two page spread. If you are like me, it takes you a minute or two to find Wallace, even though he isn't that hard to find in this panorama.

The fourth hint shows itself when you notice that Wallace is trusted with the door open, even though he takes off a lot. What is that trust all about? Ah, you see that Hilary Knight is subtly trying to show how you let children grow up by giving them chances to be responsible with suitable, simultaneous observation.

The fifth hint struck me when I noticed that Mr. Frumbee seemed to be enjoying the serendipity of the outings as much as Wallace was. This suggested a new level of mature behavior to encourage parents to be a little less up-tight.

The final hint for me was when I found myself smiling as I turned every page, in happy anticipation of a fun adventure. Few books affect me that way. I was glad to return to the days of being 6 years old when the world seemed totally unlimited in its potential to amaze and amuse me. I think you will also enjoy that return visit in the time machine. The book also ensures that your child will feel that expansiveness, as well.

After you finish enjoying this wonderful story for the fifth straight reading in the same day, I suggest that you arrange to duplicate the adventures . . . starting with a trip to a zoo (or a farm, forest, or park, if you don't have a zoo handy). You can pick five types of animals to look for. But be sure to just explore whatever is there, as well. You can then make a scrapbook of your visits, with colored drawings (or, if you want to get fancy, you can take some photographs).

If you have a chance to go to Manhattan, you should know that Hilary Knight was inspired by an orangutan in the Central Park Zoo to write and illustrate this story. Then, you can make a literal pilgrimage. While you are there, remember that Eloise is only a few blocks away at The Plaza Hotel. Be sure to visit her picture in the south part of the lobby area, just off of the Palm Court.

Where's the fun? It's all around you . . . if you take the time to pursue it! Loosen up to enjoy being with your child more.

Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: This was a brilliant book, one that makes "Where's Waldo" seem like the pale imitation it is. Hilary Knight's drawings have always been fantastic, expressive and fluid - see Kay Thompspon's "Eloise" books, now back in print. In addition to the wonderful device of searching for the title character in a complicated scene, Knight enlivened this book with a PLOT - a winning one, about an irascable orangutan escaping from the zoo. And when you finally find him, he's always in such funny places! The text is full of humor too. And, not only can you search for Wallace, but close observers will note that other characters recur in these scenes, doubling the fun as you search for a number of people - among them a jogger, a mischievous girl, and an old lady knitting - in various settings. Great fun, an original.

Rating:
Summary: I am thrilled to share this with my children
Review: This was a favorite of mine as a child. I am so pleased to be able to get them their own copies.(mine is a bit tattered) They love finding Wallace and all of his friends over and over again. This book just stands up to the test of time. We read it every night.