Wheedle facts for kids
The Wheedle is a famous character from a children's book by Stephen Cosgrove. This furry creature later became a popular mascot for the city of Seattle.
Contents
The Wheedle: A Book Character
The First Story
The first book about the Wheedle was called Wheedle on the Needle. It came out in 1974. Stephen Cosgrove wrote it, and Robin James drew the pictures.
The story is about a big, round, furry creature named the Wheedle. He lived in the Northwest. The Wheedle loved peace and quiet. But the workers in Seattle were always whistling! This made the Wheedle very grumpy. He couldn't sleep.
So, the Wheedle moved to Mount Rainier to get away from the noise. He slept there for many years. His red nose blinked softly. But then, more people came to the area. And they started whistling again!
To stop the noise, the Wheedle got an idea. He gathered clouds in a big sack on Mount Rainier. Then, he went back to Seattle. He climbed to the top of the Space Needle. From there, he threw the clouds into the sky. This made it rain a lot!
With wet lips, the people of Seattle couldn't whistle anymore. The Wheedle finally had peace and quiet. But the people were upset about the rain. They sent the mayor to talk to the Wheedle. The Wheedle explained his problem.
The mayor then had a giant pair of earmuffs made for the Wheedle. When the Wheedle put them on, he smiled for the first time in years! He was so happy. In thanks, the Wheedle put all the clouds back in his bag. He fell fast asleep, and his red nose began blinking again.
The book ends with a little poem:
- There's a Wheedle
- On the Needle
- I know just what
- You're thinking
- But if you look up
- Late at night
- You'll see
- His red nose blinking.
New Versions of the Book
In 2002, a new version of Wheedle on the Needle was released. The story was changed quite a bit. For example, it said the Wheedle was not originally from Seattle.
Later, in 2009, Stephen Cosgrove got the rights to his book back. He worked with Sasquatch Books in Seattle. They made a third version of the book. This new edition brought back the original story's feeling. It also made some updates. The book came out in spring 2010. Now, the Wheedle is back home in Seattle!
Other Wheedle Books
The Wheedle also appeared in two other children's books:
- How to Plant a Bunch of Stuff
- How to Cook a Bunch of Stuff
The cookbook showed the Wheedle cooking. It helped kids learn to appreciate what their parents do in the kitchen.
The Wheedle: A Seattle Mascot
Basketball Mascot
From 1978 to 1985, the Wheedle was the official mascot for the NBA team, the Seattle SuperSonics. He was with the team when they won their only championship in 1979. The Wheedle wore a jersey with the number 0.
Robert Crosby was one of the people who played the Wheedle. He was the mascot when Seattle hosted the NCAA's Final Four basketball tournament. He even joked around with famous basketball player Patrick Ewing! This was a big moment for the Wheedle. That same year, Seattle honored the Wheedle as the Grand Marshal of the Torchlight Parade.
During the Wheedle's early years with the Sonics, Laurel Brown was the mascot. She was the first female mascot in the NBA! Her dance moves were very special.
Space Needle Mascot
The Wheedle was also the official mascot for the Space Needle from the late 1970s until 1984. In 1982, the Space Needle opened a new area called "The Wheedle in the Needle." It was a restaurant and event space. It was a restaurant for about a year. Then, it became a full-time event space.
TV Station Mascot
In 1993, the Wheedle became the mascot for KOMO-TV. This is a TV station in Seattle. The Wheedle would appear at many events wearing a KOMO hat and T-shirt. He represented KOMO for several years.
Where is the Wheedle Now?
For some time, you could see the Wheedle in a block of plastic "ice." This was in a small SuperSonics museum at Seattle's KeyArena. After the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City, no one knows where the Wheedle is now.
The Wheedle in Music
In 1974, a band from Seattle called Annakonda recorded a funky song called "Wheedle's Groove." This song was played a lot on the radio in Seattle. It became the theme song for the SuperSonics basketball team in 1978.
In 2004, the song "Wheedle's Groove" was put on a CD. The CD was called "Wheedle's Groove: Seattle's Finest in Funk and Soul - 1965-75." It featured many great funk and soul songs from Seattle. A movie about this music history was also made in 2009.
As of 2010, a group of musicians came together to play music under the name Wheedle's Groove. Many of them were from the original bands. They released a CD called Kearney Barton in 2009.
Images for kids
-
The present-day musical group Wheedle's Groove performing in 2010.
