Common Sense Media Review
By Molly Coplan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Charming tale of a weasel's adventure to protect his love.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Bagley Brown, Jr. is a weasel who mostly keeps to himself. The patch he wears over his eye, his famous, now missing father, and his disklike for dancing (unlike the other weasels in Wainscott) all make him feel different. To make matters worse, he falls in love with Bridget, a fish. Despite the trouble that a weasel-loving a fish presents, Bagley Brown is committed to doing anything he can to keep Bridget safe from the predator-ridden pond. But to protect his beloved, he must enlist the help of the other animals.
Is It Any Good?
Tor Seidler brings the Wainscott woods to life with vivid descriptions of nature and vibrant, charming characters. Fred Marcellino's beautiful illustrations throughout THE WAINSCOTT WEASEL help make this world pop off the page. The story of Bagley and his friends is exciting and unpredictable. Kids will love the colorful assortment of characters, including a family oriented bullfrog, a gorgeous striped bass, and cheerful sparrows.
While keeping kids' attention with suspense and humor, the author also creates characters who are complicated and sophisticated and show kids that not everyone is who you think they are at first; love can be blind, unexpected, and tricky; and you sometimes find friends hidden in places you would never expect.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the memory of Bagley's father both helped and hurt Bagley's friendships.
Can you think of any other story in which two characters fall into unrealistic or tricky love? Does it work out for them?
Do you find the map at the beginning of the book helpful? Why?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Fred Marcellino
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , STEM , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperCollins Children's Books
- Publication date : January 1, 1993
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 5 - 12
- Number of pages : 200
- Available on : Paperback, Nook
- Award : ALA Best and Notable Books
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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