Wiggens Learns His Manners at the Four Seasons Restaurant

Manners may be difficult for young ones not only to understand but to learn and then remember to practice. This can be especially onerous if the young one is a puppy - a rambunctious Chocolate Labrador puppy named Wiggens. While Wiggens's parents surely do love him they're at their wit's end trying to teach him good manners. They've heard about a place where puppies are taught to be polite and refined, so they enroll Wiggens. And what is this wonderful place? New York City's famous Four Seasons Restaurant! Believe it or not, puppies come from all over the world to the Four Seasons to learn matters of refinement under the tutelage of Saint Bernard. Fortunately, Saint Bernard is patient as Wiggens does tend to be excitable and, of course, puzzled by what he sees on the menu - to say nothing of forks and spoons! However after a few missteps Wiggens does learn his manners. Especially helpful for young readers will not only be the reminders of manners, but the reasons for doing so and suggestions to help. Such as "Be respectful of others' tastes, though they may differ from your own, and always be willing to take a bite of something new." Leslie McGuirk's brightly colored illustrations are eye catching and will help young readers remember what the puppies learned. - Gail Cooke

[...] Manners for All Seasons You might think your low-key, local pizza joint is the best place to teach young kids about the etiquette of eating out rather than a world-famous establishment frequented by presidents, literary luminaries and Wall Street titans. Think again. The Four Seasons Restaurant, original home of the "power lunch," may be the perfect setting for discovering dining decorum (and let's not forget people watching.) Alex von Bidder, an owner of the Four Seasons, has co-authored a children's book with Leslie McGuirk entitled Wiggens Learns His Manners at the Four Seasons Restaurant. In the story, Wiggens, a chocolate Labrador, heads to the legendary eatery and joins other puppies for a crash course in dining dos and don'ts. Von Bidder says it's important to teach kids about the experience and ritual of dining out not just what fork to use. "We do it because somebody else cooks and somebody else serves and you have a delicious meal ... and you don't have to do dishes," he remarks. Von Bidder, who teaches classes on manners at law firms and big companies, adds, "I think it's far more important that they understand what manners mean in terms of life; that's being thoughtful and respectful of other people." So what's some of the most egregious behavior von Bidder has witnessed at his restaurant? A faux pas committed not by kids but adults. Two grown women were having a food fight in the space between the two dining rooms. "We ended up with some creme anglaise or something like that on the Picasso." Not a simple clean-up. Wonder if they got their cotton candy.

BRAVO! A delicious book for lovers of dogs and manners! A delightful, whimsically illustrated gem sure to become the family favorite. Highly recommended. Bone appetit!

What a clever, whimsical book with an important message. Thanks to Alex for sharing his magical restaurant with dogs and dog lovers and to Leslie for her creativity and bold ideas.

Wiggens is a clever, fun book which has quickly become a household favorite. All of us can relate to the excitement and behavior of a young pup. We now have our 4-year old behaving better while seeing her try to teach our black lab as well--a WIN-WIN for all.