The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, by Julie Edwards
One day Ben, Tom and Lindy Potter go to the zoo. As they discuss the unusual animals, a strange little man interrupts and asks if they’ve ever seen a Whangdoodle. Of course, they have not. That night, Tom looks in the dictionary and learns that Whangdoodles are mythical creatures.
A few days later, while trick-or-treating, Lindy knocks on the door of Bramblewood’s “haunted” house. When Dr. Savant answers the door, the children are surprised to see the man from the zoo. He tells them more about the Whangdoodle and his kingdom which can only be reached through one’s imagination.
The children begin training for the journey. They learn to look beyond the ordinary and see things in a different way. When Dr. Savant feels they are ready, they don their scrappy hats and go to Whangdoodleland- a place filled with wondrous things like the Whiffle Bird, the Jolly Boat, and the melodious Golden River and scary things like Sidewinders, Gazooks, Swamp Gaboons, and the Gyascutus.
While visiting his kingdom, the travelers manage to bypass the treacherous old Prime Minister, Prock, and help the last Whangdoodle realize the desire of his heart.