Review: The Adventures of Wilhelm & Giveaway

Book Details:

Book Title: The Adventures of Wilhelm: A Rat’s Tale by Maria Ritter
Illustrator: Teri Rider
Category: Middle-grade Fiction, 210 pages
Genre: Children’s Fantasy
Publisher: PartnerPress
Release date: August 2018
Tour dates: March 11 to 29, 2019
Content Rating: G (This is a clean children’s book with no expletives, violence, sex or drugs.)

Book Description:

Young Wilhelm leaves home and travels the world. He not only discovers the value of different cultures and the importance of family and friendship, but he also overcomes obstacles with courage and cleverness. He returns home with deep respect for all creatures on this earth and a new sense of rat identity and purpose.

To follow the tour and read reviews, please visit Maria Ritter’s page on iRead Book Tours.

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My Thoughts

I don’t review a lot of children’s books, but I am a mom, so I read a lot of them.  When I was given the chance to review The Adventures of Wilhelm, I approached the book with thoughts of whether or not I would want my kids to read it and what they would learn.  Even in the description of this book, you can see that there are some important lessons that I really want my kids to read and internalize.

I found Wilhelm to be very brave.  He ventured out, followed his dreams and his gut, to see the world.  I want my children to experience all kinds of places and cultures, and reading books like this only further normalizes this lifestyle.  I want to be like Wilhelm’s parents.  I want to encourage my kids to branch out, explore the world, and learn everything they can.

The writing and story were so imaginative and engaging, especially for a middle school kid.  Exploration through the perspective of a rat was a very original way to convey such a fantastic story.  With a  child’s imagination, their innocent belief in magic and the impossible, Wil’s story would come to life in such a wonderful way.  Hopefully, I will remember this book once my kids are old enough to read.  

About the Author:

Maria Ritter is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst in La Jolla, California. She is the author of Return to Dresden (2004), an autobiographical reflection on her childhood in Germany during and after World War II. It is a healing memoir that confronts national guilt for the Nazi past and weaves the broken pieces of loss and grief into a healing tapestry.

Connect with the author: Website