Walter the Wonder Snail - Neil Clark - ★★★★

AUTHOR: Neil Clark

GENRE: Children's Picture Book.

RATING: 4 Stars.

In a Nutshell: A cute though farfetched story about a little snail with big dreams.

Walter is no Turbo the speed-racing snail from the Dreamworks movie, but he still is a wonder snail in his dreams and his determination. He is fed up of his life amid the leaves and wonders if he should explore more. The other snails dissuade him with their constant refrain of “But that’s not what snails do!” Walter, however, knows what is best for himself and sets out of a journey into the unknown. With the help of some animal friends, he soon discovers that the world is indeed much more than leaves.

If you notice the cover page of the book, you will see a tagline that declares, “Be brave, be curious, be Walter!” That covers the essence of the book. Walter explored the unseen terrain with bravery. Walter knows that there’s always something more to explore and one needn’t settle for what people tell you is enough. But most importantly, Walter knows that it is okay to rely on friends for help, and that even after the bravest and most curious of journeys, one shouldn’t forget one’s roots, or one’s home.

There are plenty of great messages that come out through this book – whether directly through Walters’ friends who help him on his journey, or the indirect ones that we can gauge from Walter’s experiences.

Why not 5 stars then?

Well, as a child, I sure would have loved a snail going so much out of its way and being what it is essentially not. As a parent though, I could see the myriad dangers Walter puts himself into. He was lucky enough to find helpful animals at the right time. Without the bird or the frog for example, there was no way Walter alone could have travelled through air or into water. At the same time, notice the danger in accepting this help. Some birds eat snails, so Walter could have put his life at risk by accepting help from a bird. Similarly, by exploring inside the pond, Walter could have drowned by not knowing how to swim. Though it is just a picture book, I would have appreciated a word of caution. The world is not full of do-gooders, and kids also need to learn that exploring goes hand in hand with caution.

Also, the fact is that simply saying ‘I can do whatever I set my mind to’ doesn’t actuate itself in every life situation. I wish Walter’s sojourn had been a little more realistic, so that children could learn to take disappointments too in their stride.  This story was too simplistic.

The story is written in a simple prose style with easy vocabulary. There are not more than 3-4 sentences on most pages, and every sentence carries the story ahead with a wonderful imagery, not something I can say for most picture books. I loved the use of the ‘sound’ words. Onomatopoeic effects add so much fun to children’s books!

The illustrations are lovely. Every page is bright and filled with the colours of nature. And snail with a little leaf hat – adorable!!!

Recommend to little ones aged 3-6 years, preferably to be read with an adult companion to get a complete picture of Walter’s travels.

My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for the DRC of “Walter the Wonder Snail”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.