The Hallo-Wiener
by Dav Pilkey
Date: 1995
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library
Oscar is a little dog with a big problem -- the other dogs tease him all the time. But one brave act makes Oscar a Grade-A hero, proving that a little wiener can be a real winner!
(synopsis from Goodreads)
Of course my library hold for a Halloween picture book comes in a few days after Halloween.
The Hallo-Wiener is great fun. It's full of puns, and the hero is an adorable dachshund.
Oscar's often made fun of by the other dogs for being short and long. They taunt him with cries of, "Wiener dog!" But he doesn't care, because it's Halloween, and he's ready to put together a great scary costume. Unfortunately, his mother is one step ahead of him, and she's got a costume ready and waiting: a hot dog bun. Poor Oscar doesn't want to hurt her feelings, so he puts on the costume. The other dogs think it's hilarious. They all go out trick-or-treating, but Oscar can't keep up, and the quicker dogs ahead of him are emptying all the neighbours' treat bowls. It isn't until the other dogs run into a scary situation that Oscar's size, smarts, and costume are an advantage. He shows the others that he's a great dog to have on their side!
I have to admit that I haven't read any Captain Underpants books. So this was my first exposure to Dav Pilkey's work. I rather like the simple illustrations. And the puns... If you like that sort of thing, you'll eat this one up.
Overall, I'm pretty impressed. It's a clever tale with a likeable hero. I just wish I'd gotten to read it in time for Halloween!
Quotable moment:
Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
Overall: 4 out of 5
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