Coral Voss (text) and Aleksandra Szmidt (illustrator), Whingeville, Larrikin House, October 2022, 24 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922503961
When a picture book for young children is titled Whingeville, most adults will already guess at the storyline and the ending. And while this story doesn’t have a surprise ending or remarkable twist, it is entertaining, does have lovely rhythm and rhyme, and it has a slightly deeper layer for those willing to look.
The young protagonist, Will, is a chronic complainer. He is unhappy having a shower but doesn’t like being dirty; his dinner is not up to scratch, and dessert is no better. One evening he is whisked out of his bedroom window in a hot air balloon to become the king of Whingeville, something he has no complaints about. But being the king means dealing with everyone else’s problems: water that’s too wet and air that must be shared.
From here it’s fairly obvious where the story will go, and young children will appreciate that. What young children might need help grasping is the subtle message about finding fault. It took me a minute to work it out.
Surely if the creators wanted to discourage children from whinging they would make a town of whingers as unpleasant looking as possible, so I was initially confused as to why Whingeville was such a brightly coloured, whimsical world. Upon reflection, I realised that it sends a stronger message about the control we have over our attitude and outlook to present a vibrant, pleasant town inhabited by people who only see problems. It highlights to young readers that the townspeople are complaining about rather trivial matters. The reality is that many readers will be living in quite comfortable, even abundant, circumstances, and so this book might help them notice the ingratitude or hypocrisy shown when whinging about relatively minor annoyances.
Reviewed by Cherie Bell
