What Wesley Wore by Samuel Langley-Swain
Today I am happy to be reviewing a brand new children’s book called What Wesley Wore which is published on 25th May.
Thank you to Owlet Press and the author for a copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly.
All the weasels in Westburrow Wood
are supposed to follow the rules and
fit in. So, imagine their confusion
when they meet Wesley, a wacky
weasel, who is obsessed with clothes!
As the other weasels plot and
protest against Wesley,
readers will be eager to find out
what happens, in this heart-warming
story about acceptance.
My Thoughts
This beautifully written and illustrated storybook should be on every children’s bookshelf and told in every primary school throughout the country.
It is the story of Wesley the weasel who simply liked to wear clothes. However, because he was different the other weasels bullied him. Wesley talks to his dad and decides that he doesn’t care what anyone thinks. He leaves for a new life in the city, but first, he faces the bullies dressed in his trendiest outfit.
The weasels start to miss Wesley and regret their actions, they go to Wesley’s dad who lets them into his home and hands out some of the outfits that Wesley left behind. The outfits make the weasels feel special and Westburrow wood is a happy place again.
The message that it is ok to be different comes over loud and clear. However, many other moral messages lie within the pages. Children learn about bullying and the effect it can have. The story features acts of kindness, forgiveness, empathy, regret, resilience, sadness and acceptance.
The whole book is written in rhyme which I loved and the illustrations are colourful and bold so that children can follow the story themselves. There are also speech bubbles throughout the book which children can relate to.
Wesley is shown in an array of colourful (non-gender specific) outfits ranging from a baseball cap and a string of pearls to a tutu and bow tie. Children will love discussing all of Wesley’s different outfits and I’m sure they will all want to dress up themselves!
I wish there were books like this around when I was a child, it is a heartwarming, captivating story with an adorable main character. The moral messages are subtly tied into the storyline and not done in a forced, disingenuous way like many children’s books around at the moment.
I think we will be hearing a lot about What Wesley Wore and this book needs to be made into a series so that children can follow Wesley’s further adventures.
Written by an adoptive Dad from a two-dad family, inspired by his own
childhood to promote acceptance.
Illustrator is a young dad from Utah, USA with SFX career in TV and
24,000 followers on Instagram.
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