Book Review: Whittington
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that a young boy is wounded in the face
in a knife fight, and a chicken is killed by rats. One
character smokes cigars, children in the Middle Ages drink
beer, and opium and hashish are mentioned as trade goods.
Families who read this book could discuss the original story upon which this is based, and the differences between the reality and the legend. Also, how much of Dick's good fortune was due to the cat, and how much to his own efforts? How does his story parallel Ben's efforts to overcome his dyslexia? Some kids may be interested in finding out more about the period, and about Marco Polo.
Common Sense Media Review
Kids will enjoy the three interlocking stories here,
especially the one that takes place in the 14th century. The
retelling of Dick Whittington's legend -- about a boy who finds
fame and fortune due to his cat's knack for killing rats -- is
thrilling -- and told from a feline point of view. Kids will be
fascinated by the well-researched period details, and it may
send some scurrying for more information, especially about
Marco Polo.
This gutsy young boy, filled with grit and determination, hearkens back to an earlier era's heroes, such as the boy in Where the Red Fern Grows.
The ability for humans and animals to converse is never explained, but simply taken for granted. The barnyard scenes will remind many of Charlotte's Web in their peaceful community of speaking animals, and kids who can join and understand them, as well as in their uneasy, but ultimately mutually beneficial, relationship with the rats.
Relationships between human and animal, and between language and story, unite the threads of this rich and deceptively complex novel spanning across six centuries.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
