Mr. Wuffles! by David Weisner

Mr. Wuffles! by David Weisner.  Clarion, 2013, 32 pages. 

Reading Level: Picture books, Ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 4-8 and up

Bottom Line: Mr. Wuffles, a spoiled housecat, gets his comeuppance from tiny space aliens in this amusing wordless picture book.

David Weisner carved out a secure corner in the wordless-book scene with the flying frogs of Tuesday (1991).  There’s some flying in Mr. Wuffles! also, in which the spoiled protagonist doesn’t share.  Mr. Wuffles’ indulgent owner continually provides him with new toys, but the snooty cat ignores all of them.  Except that little spaceship . . . . Sharp-eyed readers will notice that the spaceship is the only toy without a price tag.  That’s because—it’s real!  The tiny green spacemen inside are interrupted in their reconnaissance of earth when Mr. Wuffles takes an interest in them, and only when he dozes off do they see their chance for escape.  Spotting a convenient mouse hole, they sneak inside the walls and discover 1) “cave paintings” of a cat doing battle with other strange creatures and 2) the creatures themselves, all possessing six legs and antennae.  Since aliens and insects (mostly ants, with one ladybug) are approximately the same size they form an alliance against their mutual enemy, sealed with a Cheez-it.  What happens next will cheer any bug-lover, but the main charm (and value) of this almost-wordless story is watching friendships develop and guessing what the respective alien/insect dialogue balloons mean.  Alien language is shown in geometric shapes, while insects speak in a series of tick marks.  Even opposite species can be friends, and Mr. Wuffles is the odd man out.  The story reminds me of a famous Twilight Zone episode and I can’t help wondering if that’s where Mr. Weisner found his inspiration.  Either way, it’s a lot of fun.

Cautions: None

Overall rating: 4 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic value: 4.5

Categories: Picture Books, Wordless, Science Fiction, Animals