Whatever Wanda Wants - Softcover

Jude Wisdom

4

28 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1862333009 ISBN 13: 9781862333000

Publisher: Gullane, 2002

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When Wanda was born, her parents decided to give their only child whatever she wanted, to make up for always being so busy. And so Wanda wanted - and got - absolutely everything she fancied. But getting what you want isn't always ideal, as Wanda soon learns.

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From Publishers Weekly:

Can an over-indulged girl survive on a desert island? Not only does Wanda survive she thrives. In flower-power paintings splashed with lemon and lavender, British newcomer Wisdom shows Wanda's busy, guilt-ridden parents buying her everything she wants to make up for the time they spend away from her ("As the years passed, the gifts grew greater. Life-sized dolls, whale-sized wading pools, theater-sized TVs"). One day Wanda throws a tantrum because she can't have a garish kite she fancies. "A truly remarkable kite, but beware,/ It can do horrible things when it's up in the air!" the shopkeeper warns. The kite, with a crafty, sloe-eyed expression and a will to match the heroine's, carries wailing Wanda off into the sky and dumps her on an uninhabited island. After emerging from her dejection, Wanda discovers that she can cook, make tools and even entertain a blue whale, who kindly gives her a ride home once the heroine realizes what is really important: "I don't miss my fancy clothes or TV, or any of my toys. I just really, really miss my mom and dad." Didactic though the tale might be ("Stick with me and you will see/ we don't need to live like kings!/ And I've decided anyway.../ There's more to life than things!" says Wanda at the close), the sly text gives the message plenty of spice, and the sophisticated art will likely please children and adults alike. Ages 4-8.

From Booklist:

Ages 5-8. Spoiled Wanda usually gets everything her heart desires, so when she's told that beautiful kite she has her eye on isn't for sale, she rants and stomps about. As usual, she gets what she wants, but not before she's warned that her prize is no ordinary kite. Before she knows what's happening, the kite whisks her away and dumps her on a deserted island, informing her that it's time she learns a few lessons. Learn them she does: she builds a sturdy bamboo hut, makes clothes from banana leaves, and cooks delicious fish. By the time she sails home on the back of her new friend, a blue whale, she has learned the most important lesson of all: "There's more to life than things!" The illustrations are a good match for the story, being much like Wanda herself--loud, brash, colorful, and dynamic. The cartoon-style figures ably capture Wanda's harsh nature as well as her transformation into a happy person. The end of this story is really "The Beginning!" A good vehicle for starting discussions about our materialistic society. Lauren Peterson
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