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The extended, blended family of the Wackadoodles are back, and in this new picture book, the parents teach an important life lesson about kindness, even in the face of bullying. The family is excited because today they will play and picnic in the park. Before enjoying their meal, they split into teams for a friendly game of toss football.
When Chandy, one of their boys, goes to the bushes to retrieve the ball, three other mean and laughing boys refuse to return the ball. Mr. and Mrs. Wackadoodle approach the boys to ask about getting the football back and are told that their older brothers had taught them that if you find something, you are entitled to keep it. The author goes on to explain in terms a very young child can easily understand that the person who lost the item “is probably sad and wants it back.” The Wackadoodle parents decide to invite the boys to join them in their family picnic. They are told that they are welcome to join the Wackadoodles anytime, as long as they are kind. The boys eagerly join them, the football is returned, and new friends are made.
Duggan says her goal in writing the Wackadoodle series is to provide young children with books that “address sensitive topics with real and honest answers” on an age-appropriate level. Indeed, that mission is accomplished in this fun children’s book, which showcases many families—including the Wackadoodles, along with their new friends—enjoying a beautiful sunny day at the park. At the book’s end, young readers are presented with a couple of additional scenarios and encouraged to think about how they would handle the situations. At the heart of the book is the notion that it is never wrong to be kind.