The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles

By Julie Edwards

Copyright 1974

Pax amor et lepos in iocando

Written by Mary Poppins (aka Julie Andrews Edwards), with a motto of "peace love and a sense of fun", this children’s book was destined to be magical.  Three children, with the guidance of a Nobel winning science professor, attempt to harness their imaginations to reach Whangdoodleland, where all magical creatures retreated when humans stopped believing in them.  Whangdoodle, the king of this land, has some pretty awesome magical powers.  Not only can he change colors at will, but he can randomly grow his own bedroom slippers.  Sadly, though, he is the last of his kind and is quite lonely.

One of my favorite characters the children meet is the Whiffle Bird.  She is a fluffy, feathery, colorful creature, who protectively shouts out warnings of danger to the travelers.  Unfortunately, it takes a while for them to take the warnings seriously.  After climbing on the Jolly Boat, which only starts to move after you tell it jokes, the Whifflebird shouts, “YOU’RE BEING TAKEN FOR A RIDE”.  Only too late did they realize they were being warned of a deception.  

What I found unusual about this book is the combination of crazy fantasy and imagination mixed with serious science.  The professor’s area of expertise is genetics, but don’t take his science lessons as fact.  This book was written in 1974, after all.  The point is clear though; knowledge, skill, determination, imagination, and faith were all necessary for the children and the professor to reach Whangdoodleland  and to grant the Whangdoodle his heart’s desire.

Knowledge and faith can and should coexist.