Welcome to the book tour for the Wesley Raccoon series by Michelle Porter, inspired by her father and grandson. Get a look inside, plus read my thoughts on the first two books. And find out what Michelle envisions should her books ever make it to the screen. Follow the tour for even more, leaving your questions and comments along the way. Best of luck in the giveaway!
This story is about a shy little raccoon who overcomes his fear of meeting new people. Join Wesley Raccoon on his travels through the streets of Amsterdam to find out how The Old Man In The Houseboat becomes his new best friend.
Read an excerpt:
When he awoke, Wesley was startled and afraid to see the face of an old man peering out through the curtains at him. The man had thick curly white hair, wrinkles, and big bright blue eyes. Wesley wasn’t sure what to do. He started to scurry away, but then noticed a big friendly smile on the old man’s face.
The old man gently opened the window and, in a kind voice, offered Wesley a cup of tea and some fruit bread. “Wow, two of my most favourite things: tea and fruit bread,” thought Wesley. Wesley and the old man in the houseboat spent all afternoon together talking about many interesting things. They had a lot in common.
They shared their favourite music and talked about treasure maps and pirate gold. The old man in the houseboat even taught Wesley how to catch a fish. Wesley soon realized how silly it was to be afraid of his new friend just because he didn’t look like him. And the old man in the houseboat realized how wonderful it was to meet a new friend in such an unexpected place.
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**My thoughts**
This story was inspired by the author's father and grandson. It's about a raccoon named Wesley who is visiting his favorite haunts in Amsterdam in search of food. Along the way, he stumbles upon an old man who lives on a houseboat and the two become unlikely friends. The moral of the story is that we can find friends in unexpected places, even if they don't look like us.
I enjoyed the illustrations in the story as they were like a throwback to stories from my childhood that took place in Europe. It was fun to take a peek into different places in Amsterdam. While I have still not ever visited, I have friends who live there. Perhaps their children would enjoy trying to follow along in Wesley's travels!
I will say that the text was difficult to read on some pages. It is printed on a semi-transparent background that overlays the illustrations. On same pages, the illustrations in the background bled through too strongly, thus causing the text to blend into the pictures too much.
Overall, a cute story.
I received a requested review copy from the author and Goddess Fish. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This inspiring story of friendship captures the importance of spending time with friends throughout our life. Join Wesley Raccoon and The Old Man in the Houseboat on their adventures through Vondelpark, and learn how Captain John's Social gathers a unique circle of true friends.
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**My thoughts**
This is another story inspired by the author's father and grandson Wesley. It's a continuation of the first one where this time, Wesley Raccoon is introducing the Old Man to a bunch of his friends. They meet a wide variety of other animals and have fun doing different things with each of them, ending in a "social" on another boat. They learn how fun it is to have a wide variety of friends in life who like to do different things. It's another cute story. Kids can talk about all of the different things they like to do with all of their different friends.
In this one, the text is again printed in semi-transparent boxes over illustrations, but it is much easier to read than in the previous book.
I received a requested review copy from the author and Goddess Fish. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
If your book was made into a movie…
Bringing the characters to life from the pages of a book to a movie screen is a lovely idea. This children’s series can easily be adapted to movie format.
The main character in this friendship series is named Wesley Raccoon. As a youngster, he is full of wonder and sets out to explore the physical and metaphysical world we live in. His growth cycle is synonymous to the life of a child, and parallels many of the adventures and curiosities that young children encounter daily. Wesley finds himself experiencing new environments, challenging situations that require problem solving, overcoming his fears and developing his understanding of the world around him.
The sky is the limit to the types of adventures and situations that a young raccoon can find in, many with great similarities to the development of a child. With an endless array of topics to explore in the early years of development, Wesley will be busy growing and exploring for years to come.
As the series expands, we see the introduction of a variety of new animal friends within the second book. The focus of this is to build out the character development and social skill interaction. Wesley finds himself building close friendships with a variety of animals and age groups, reinforcing that the world is full of options and opportunities.
His friends are from different backgrounds and bring new learning and culture to Wesley’s life through their friendship and interactions. Social acceptance and diversity is reinforced as we learn more about each of the characters throughout the book.
The next book in the series is currently underway, and is due to be release late 2021. The book will tackle the tricky and sensitive topic of the loss of a close friend and tackle some of the spiritual aspects of the circle of life.
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As a mother to four grown boys, Michelle is passionate about writing captivating children's stories on the importance of social acceptance, kindness and life lessons. Her books focus on friendship, love and self-awareness blossoming in a world that children understand.
Her warm-hearted approach to writing and whimsical use of watercolor illustrations connect with young creative minds, inspiring children of all ages. The message she coveys is simple yet powerful: "When we release our fear of the unknown and our preconceived notions, we free our hearts to find true friends, to love, and to grow."
