The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards - 10/10

After befriending an excentric old professor, three siblings learn to see beauty and wonder in the everyday world, and eventually travel to the magical realm of Whangdoodleland where their adventures lead them to an even greater mystery.

Amid the magic and fantasy, readers are invited to transform the way they approach the world. The world-building is delightfully creative and childlike, and the antagonists are not scary. While the professor is a mentor to the children and accompanies them throughout the journey, he does not overshadow their agency or solve every problem (in fact, he repeatedly struggles to adapt to the particular challenges the party face in Whangdoodleland).

*The plot of this book - near the end - hinges on the idea of modern science as being able to re-create life (sort of cloning), which is not really something that the Catholic Church believes or supports, but I feel like the existence of magic and mythical creatures lends itself to some creative license - and the overall message of the book of wonder and belief is a Christian perspective, conveyed in a unique way.

**This book has many similarities to The Chronicles of Narnia, though the tone is different; this book is not about the struggle of good and evil, and doesn't have the same sorts of explicit religious language and references which are woven throughout Narnia, and the details of the non-fantasy world feel less important to the story (which may make it feel more modern). Again, I think that readers who enjoyed one would likely enjoy the other as well - though they need not take this note as discouragement if they dislike one.