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Read This! 7 Awesome Northwest Kids’ Books

Tired of the same ole bedtime story? Click through for the best Northwest kids’ books of the 21st century.

By Erin Cranston March 5, 2014

As kids, we all had a favorite book that was requested at bedtime, read repeatedly until the spine broke and the pages were torn. For some it was friendly Richard Scarry; for others, silly Dr. Seuss. But for those of us who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, there was always one book on our bedside tables: the sweet story about a grumpy ball of orange fluff named the Wheedle, whose nose blinked red as he snoozed on top of the Space Needle. Lucky for us, that book is still in print, and still causes many kiddos to stare at the top of the Needle and wonder…but are there any iconic Northwest kids’ books for the 21^st century? Flip through our gallery and decide for yourself.

Wheedle and the Noodle

Okay, okay, so we said this list was beyond the Wheedle…but we just couldn’t leave off the current installment of the ornery orange monster’s adventures in Seattle, from author and illustrator team Stephen Cosgrove and Robin James. The Wheedle has been snoring contentedly on the Needle for the past 30 years, when his peaceful slumber is rudely interrupted by a sad and insistent meowing. What happens next will surprise not only your little Wheedles, but all of us who would stare up at the Needle’s red light as kids...or wished we had. Find out what the power of friendship and plain old kitten cuddles will teach even the most curmudgeonly of creatures.

Find it at: Island Books

Did we miss your favorite Northwest-themed kids’ book? Let us know in a comment below!

-Erin Cranston

Photo credits: Haley Stocking/Sasquatch Books