If Wendell Had a Walrus, written by Lori Mortensen and illustrated by Matt Phelan is a quiet, pleasant surprise of a picture book. The premise for the first half of the book is in the title: Wendell sees a cloud that looks like a walrus, and starts wondering about real ones. This leads to some nice scenes in Wendell’s imagination.
The book takes a turn into new territory when Wendell’s throwing a bottle with a note (for a walrus) into the sea… and meets Morrell, who’s there tossing a note for a whale.
Their similar visions leads to a friendship, and they’re no longer alone.
Both parts of the book—Wendell’s yearning, and the friendship—are pleasant in themselves, but it is the two together that make this special. The twists and turns lead to growth and friendship, and there’s a sense that these boys being themselves leads to connection.
