Shaun Tan wins Best Illustrated Book

Australian author Shaun Tan has won Best Illustrated Book at the Australian Publishers & Australian Booksellers Associations (ABIA) Awards for Tales from Outer Suburbia,

Meghan Killeen only just reviewed this wonderful book for KBR and you can see it here!

Sneak Peek - next Riley book

Well aren't you lucky ducks, getting to preview one of the almost-finished pictures from Riley and the Dancing Lion: A Journey Around Hong Kong?

I am SO loving my new illustrator - the megawatt talented Kieron Pratt - whose illustrations have me flat out gasping with laughter every time I see them.

Next book? Riley and the Electric Penguins. I'm thinking it could be set in Antarctica. What say you?

Review: Where The Wild Things Are

Title: Where the Wild Things Are

Author: Maurice Sendak

Illustrator: Maurice Sendak

Publisher: Red Fox

Format: Softcover

Language: English

ISBN: 978 0 099 40839 0

For ages: 3-10

Type: Picture Book

About: For a book lover, there is nothing more impossible than naming ‘favourite’ books, however, if I was hard pressed to nominate a top 20 somethingorother, I can categorically assure you that Where The Wild Things Are would be somewhere on that list.

Classic books, celebrated the world over and still selling strongly to a new generation decades after publication (this one in 1963) have something in common. They’re not only captivatingly illustrated with beautiful storylines, there are often quite simplistic in style and message. There is a cleverness to them. There is no obviousness, no lime green sparkles, no patronization. The writing is smart, and unapologetically sophisticated, even for the smallest reader. Just look at Dr Seuss.

But back to Where the Wild Things Are. This book, for me, epitomizes the pursuit of imagination.

What child is there who wouldn’t dream of being transported to a world inside their own head? I will never forget being transported along with Max in this story for the very first time. I will never forget the boat trip, the horror of the monsters, so wide-eyeingly spectacular. And I will never forget the nonchalance that rescued Max from fear. I will never forget the warm soup waiting in his room upon his return.

Your kids won’t forget this classic book, either. Add it to the library if it’s not already almost certainly there.

Teachers' Notes

This book is available online:

SeekBooks AU$17.96
Booktopia AU$17.50
Fishpond AU$17.28

Review: Tales from Outer Suburbia

Title: Tales from Outer Suburbia

Author: Shaun Tan

Illustrator: Shaun Tan

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

Format: Hardcover

Language: English

ISBN: 978 0 545 05587 1

For ages: 8+

Type: Picture Book

About: Several years ago, I encountered a magazine called Found which features submitted 'found objects' from readers around the world. These objects range from torn grocery lists (comically taken out of context) to impassioned letters and blurred photographs.

There was a Found issue which I fondly recall. One of the readers had submitted a note that he had found attached to a red ballon. The balloon was discovered entangled in the branches of a tree in a cemetery. The note was written by a young boy addressed to his mother listing his recent activities. The simplicity of the note combined with its haunting discovery simultaneously stirred a touch of sadness, wonder and the surreal inside me.

Tales from Outer Surbia also incites a similar sentimental swirl of emotions.

An anthology of fifteen short stories, all are beautifully illustrated and authored by the bestselling author, Shaun Tan. Each story takes place in a surreal environment which places strange characters in an even stranger land.

Many of the stories are touched by the perspective of an outsider looking in, conveying both the heavy and humorous side of living in a foreign land. One of the stort stories, 'Eric', follows the curiosity of a leaf-like visitor that ends up teaching his host more than he expects. 'Grandpa’s Story' describes an otherworldly, desert odyssey that challenges soon-to-be-wed couples, proving “as long as we stick together, nothing can stop us!”

Tales from Outer Surburbia reads like a surreal scrapbook, complete with illustrations that look like images drawn on a lost napkin or lifted from a peculiar periodical. Other stories include a mystical water buffalo, a lawn-beached whale and a nameless holiday. Each tale is emotionally moving and engagingly illustrated.

Look for it at your local bookstore... or tied to a red balloon!

Related Books:
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Wolves in the Wall by Neil Gaiman

See more of Shaun Tan's amazing work at www.shauntan.net.

- review by Meghan Killeen

NEWS: Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia has won Best Illustrated Book at the Australian Publishers & Australian Booksellers Associations (ABIA) Awards! (June 09)

This book is available online:

SeekBooks - AU$35.96
Fishpond - AU$27.99
Booktopia - AU$30.50

Review: The Great Pet Sale

Title: The Great Pet Sale

Author: Mick Inkpen

Illustrator: Mick Inkpen

Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books

Format: Softcover

Language: English

ISBN: 0 340 91817 9

For ages: 2-7

Type: Picture Book

About: In the Great Pet Sale, the very talented author/illustrator, Mick Inkpen, makes such gorgeous use of his illustrating talent to showcase a range of adorable animals all pet-lovers will adore.

Written in the first person, a young lad sees a sign in the petshop window, announcing all pets must go in the great pet sale. But how can he choose? With a variety of gorgeous animals from a persistent and very cute rat to a puffin, pelican, parrot and penguin, deciding on a new pet seems almost impossible… until a fabulous mathematical solution presents itself.

To cater to smaller readers, Inkpen adds pull-outs, cutouts and lift-up flaps to this fun book, dotting it with lots of fun surprises for little fingers.

Great fun!

This book is available online:

SeekBooks AU$15.29
Booktopia AU$14.95
Fishpond AU$16.99

Author in Residence

Can you even begin to imagine, in your wildest dreams ever even begun to be conjured, how ecstatic I am to be invited to be an Author in Residence???

The gorgeous and talented people at Caroline Chisholm primary school in Canberra have asked humble old book-churning me to become their first ever Resident Author during school term 3.

Enormous thanks to Julie and Irene for their amazing encouragement and support - the way they have welcomed me at the school has been just wonderful (I have done SIX book readings and talks at the school, and counting!) and I know working with them will be a priceless life experience.

I am also very keen to work with these lovely students at Caroline Chisholm, who are just the most creative and well behaved kids. I'm right now in the thick of creating a fantabulous programme, based on the structure of Riley and the Sleeping Dragon, to teach the children over a nine-week period.

Author in residence!!!

Review: Help! I’m Cracking Up!

Title: Help! I’m Cracking Up!

Author: Tedd Arnold

Illustrator: Tedd Arnold

Publisher: Penguin Viking

Format: Hardcover

Language: English

ISBN: 0 670 02947 5

For ages: 3-9

Type: Picture Book

About: I love nonsense books, but they need to be done really really well. Thankfully, Tedd Arnold does more than do this book well – he does it brilliantly.

This gorgeous book’s textured, dynamic and very comical illustrations, complete with adorable bobble-eyes and stunning emotion, are as kitsch as they come, and adults will fight the kids to read this fantastically funny book on a regular basis.

The star of the book – a crazy, paranoid kid who takes life more than literally – finds himself falling apart and losing it, panicking over each and every harmless adage made in the world around him. When asked by his dad to give him a hand for example, our wee man panics over how he is going to do without it, and how he can assure its adherence with some good strong glue.

Rhyme, something so hard to achieve well, suits this crazy book perfectly, and in fact, could probably have not been done in any other format, it works that well.

My tongue’s a slimy, jiggly, squishy,
Slippery little squirt,
It’s be my luck to squeeze too hard,
And lose it in the dirt.

Enjoy this book, but just don’t lose your mind!

Related books:
Parts
More Parts
Even More Parts
I'm Falling to Bits

This book is available online:

SeekBooks AU$13.46
Fishpond AU$12.95
Booktopia AU$12.95

Review: I Love It When You Smile

Title: I Love It When You Smile

Author: Sam McBratney

Illustrator: Charles Fuge

Publisher: HarperCollins

Format: Hardcover

Language: English

ISBN: 0 06 084245 8

For ages: 0-7

Type: Picture Book

About: I adore Charle’s Fuge’s illustrations. They are a joy to look at in every way, full of personality and character and such beautiful detail. It’s a double whammy joy, then, to also have a writer fill a book with such a delightful story that quite literally makes you smile.

McBratney’s gorgeous story follows the trail of a little kangaroo who’s feeling a tad grumpy, and a mum who’s totally intent on making her baby smile, no matter his mood. Despite mum’s consistent attempts, baby roo remains in his funk until a minor mud mishap makes for a hilarious outcome.

Little roo’s journey is peppered with the most charming little characters you ever did see – a duck, a mouse, a frog and a bumble bee – making this book even more of an adorable visual treat without succumbing to the overly cutesy or twee.

If the last page of this book doesn’t make you or your kids grin from ear or ear or even laugh out loud, you’re probably fast asleep. Wake up and smile!

This book is available online:

SeekBooks - AU$28.76
Fishpond - AU$24.99
Booktopia - AU$10.95 sale

Panda Usurper

Looks like Panda No.2 is gearing up to take over the Riley books, with much cheekiness and gusto. This may well be the last you see of Panda No.1!

Hurdy Gurdy Gondolope

When my brother said to me a while back, these words: "hurdy gurdy gondolope" - my entire childhood book-reading experience rushed up behind me like a mass tidlewave and swamped me in severe and very emotional nostalgia.

"OMG," I whispered, tears in my eyes. "If you had not said those words, I would never have remembered that book so long as I lived."

As soon as I got off the phone, I googled 'Hurdy Gurdy Gondelope' with my breath seized in my throat. Nothing. How odd. Maybe I miss-spelled it. 'Herdy Gerdy Gondelope', I typed.

Nothing.

'Herdy Gerdy Gondelope'

'Hurdy Gerdy Gondilope'

'Herdy Gurdey Gondaloap'

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

I was heart broken. I tried another dozen google-incantations, but nothing worked, so I let it go.

Then, today, for some unknown reason, I remembered it again, and I thought I'd try again. And to my utter delight, this is what I found - The No Such Thing by Penelope Janic. I had made the mistake of thinking the lead character was the book title.

I was ecstatic. I eBayed immediately and found an original (but somewhat pricey) edition and bought it on the spot.

Now all I have to do is wait by the post box in anticipation of reading this most beloved book to my own children.

Do you have a long lost childhood book you'd love to find?

Review: Humphrey's Day

Title: Humphrey’s Day

Author: Sally Hunter

Illustrator: Sally Hunter

Publisher: Puffin

Format: Softcover

Language: English

ISBN: 0 140 56928 6

For ages: 0-7

Type: Picture Book

About: It’s clear as clear can be that the author/illustrator of this book, the very talented Sally Hunter, is a mother. When I read this book to my children, I also feel mothered, the text is so beautifully motherese and loving.

It’s also clear this is a mother who absolutely adores her children and has the uncanny ability to see the world through their eyes.

Humphrey, a divine and darling little elephant toddler, takes us through his day at a very toddler level – from quite literally two feet off the ground. We see him struggling to get his feet into his socks, we see him nibbling on his breakfast egg and soldiers. We watch making a home from a box, stirring mud stew in the garden, watching his baby brother’s peas rolling across the floor, and riding high with daddy to see the stars in the cold night sky, just before bed.

Just like Hunter’s other Humphrey books, the illustrations in Humphrey’s Day are absolutely gorgeous – so delicately perfect, intricate and lusciously coloured with tones the making of a long-time classic.

If you want a book to snuggle with your heart and entrance your child and create a delicious nighttime bond, then this is the book for you.

Related books:
Humphrey's Corner
Humphrey's Christmas
Humphrey's Family
Humphrey's Garden
Humphrey's Playtime
Humphrey's Bedtime
Humphrey's Birthday
Humphrey's Colours
and many more...

Review: The Queen's Knickers

Title: The Queen’s Knickers

Author: Nicholas Allan

Illustrator: Nicholas Allan

Publisher: Red Fox

Format: Softcover

Language: English

ISBN: 0 09 941314 0

For ages: 0-8

Type: Picture Book

About: If you and your kids like wit, charm, whimsy and clever, then this delightful Nicholas Allen book is a must-read. It might even surprise you... the Queen, for example, actually wears knickers! Who’d have thought it? And not just any old knickers, either.

There are knickers for royal weddings, state funerals, horse-riding (with extra padding), even foreign visits. Every pair is specially created and cared for, so you can imagine the State disaster when suddenly the Queen’s knickers go missing.

Kids young and old will delight in this lovely tale about how to deal with a palace knicker crisis, and the history of knickers in the royal family; a fascinating tale, indeed.

Charming, simple illustrations carry the humour of this picture book most beautifully and make it a certain and giggling repeat reader.

poll by twiigs.com

The talented Kieron does it again

Look at this totally unsolicited cartoon of my son and panda doing the soccer chicken dance (complete with chicken looking on with a "check out this loser" look on his face). How does Kieron DO that???

Can you imagine how blissed out I am at my new, incredibly talented illustrator? And he's mine - all mine! Mwa ha ha haaaa!

Review: Charlie and Lola: We Honestly Can Look After Your Dog

I hated the Charlie and Lola books when they first came on the scene. I hated them because I was so annoyed I hadn’t thought of such a clever book idea. But Charlie and Lola soon charmed me and I, like millions all over the world, became totally and utterly smitten.

Review: Ever Clever Eva

Title: Ever Clever Eva

Author: Andrew Fusek Peters

Illustrator: Teresa Murfin

Publisher: A&C Black, London

Format: Softcover

Language: English

ISBN: 978 0 7136 8883 2

For ages: 6-10

Type: Junior Fiction

About: Eva is the daughter of a poor but good man. When she goes to work for her rich but despicable uncle, she is horrified when he cheats her out of two year’s wages. Enraged, Eva’s father takes his brother to court and wins, thanks to Ever Clever Eva and her witty mind. This makes such an impression on the Judge, he makes her his wife. But Eva’s clever ways don’t end there.

The White Wolves series of books, published by A&C Black, London, are a brilliant collection of Year 5 readers featuring three styles of story – Myths, Legends and Traditional Stories, Stories from Different Cultures, and Playscripts.

Ever Clever Eva by Andrew Fusek Peters, falls into the Different Cultures category, and is an engaging retelling of a traditional Czech tale. It’s so lovely to hear the retelling of any classic folk or fairytale, especially one that is so humorously and cleverly told. The gist of this tale has many layers, and Fusek Peters manages to tell it clearly and with much entertainment.

This delightful tale is nicely scattered with Teresa Murfin’s scribbly, Quentin-Blake-esque ink illustrations – a style kids will enjoy, and at 80 pages, it’s also a book that is brief enough yet detailed enough to hold the attention of any fifth grader… and folk-tale loving parent.

Related books:
The Story Thief

Author website

Riley and the Not So Sleepy Dragon

Do you think I'm on a winner or what?

Thank the heavens for Kieron Pratt.

I bet you can't wait to see the next Riley book, can you, huh?

I have an illustrator! Tally ho!

So, here we are, the sensational Kieron Pratt and I - launching ourselves bodily and spiritually and artistically into the future.

He has completely recreated Riley. And Panda.

Yes, this may give the original book a bit of a shuffle looks-wise, but I am thrilled to know the ensuing series of Riley books will feature characters so stuffed with vivacity and personality and life... well, I just can't wait for you to see the illustrations!

I am therefore humbled and thrilled to announce that the next Riley book - Riley and the Dancing Lion - will go ahead, with a projected release date of November 2009.

Set in Hong Kong, I am super excited about this storyline, especially in regard to the possibilities for illustration.

Watch this space if you want to follow our journey into Book No. 2.

Tally ho! Onward bound!

Author/Illlustrator - Meghan Killeen

Who is this talented person? Meghan Killeen

What does she do? Illustrator/Author

Where can you take a squiz at her stuff? www.rubywinkle.com

What’s her story? I was born near a forest in sleepy Pennsylvania, yet one day travelled to the West Coast in search of the sea and success. I attended the Art Institute of California in San Francisco and also became a certified English instructor.

I have worked for a detective agency and also performed in a circus troupe, and I have now returned to the forest where I write stories and make characters continuously come alive. I am currently working for an animation studio.

How long has she been doing her thing? I have been writing for eight years and actively illustrating within just the last two years!

What genre does she illustrate and write in? I write usually for children, however I tend to mix my genres. I’ve always been attracted to hybrid genres because they seem to strengthen the storyline and test the characters.

My children’s story, Ruby Winkle, is playful comedy combined with Film Noir à la The Pink Panther. I am currently working on a script for a TV show geared towards adults which addresses the concept of memory. It is a fantasy-realism crossover that also draws from my favorite genre… mystery.

Why does she draw? I draw out of necessity. My writing was always very visual so it was a natural segue to illustrate. I had all of these characters competing to jump onto a page but with no physical lifejacket. I knew a few illustrators but most of them were busy with their own projects so I started to look for images to reference for the characters that I had in mind. The more that I practiced, the more the characters began to take shape.

What made her decide to do a children’s book? It allows me to fully explore my animated nature. Ruby Winkle’s tendency to overcomplicate things was an easy recipe for comedic results which I thought would be best illustrated. Creating a children’s book would also allow me to merge both of my talents.

Does she remember the first story she ever wrote or the first pictures she ever started drawing? The first story that I ever wrote and illustrated was entitled “The Teeny Tiny Panda”. The book was a holistic project which entailed writing, illustration and presentation. It was about a “teeny tiny” panda who was held captive in a zoo. One day, he is visited by a long lost relative who left his native jungle in search of the “teeny tiny” panda. The long lost relative gives the “teeny tiny” panda a secret potion and mysteriously leaves.

The “teeny tiny” panda drinks the potion and suddenly grows twice his size and develops large wings. His sudden size breaks the confines of the cage and his wings enable him to fly to freedom.
The story was self-published and presented as a miniature book made out of cardboard, string (for the binding) and recycled wallpaper swatches for the cover.

What have been the most pesky blocks or obstacles she has experienced on her writing and illustrating journey? All of the obstacles (rejection letters, inadequate funds) eventually become stepping stones. The standard adage of perseverance coupled with research helped me endure a lot of obstacles. Observing how other artists/authors promote their work also helps in preventing certain pitfalls.

What advice would she have for kids (or adults) on writing and illustrating children’s stories? Self-publish! Don’t be afraid to do a lot of your own self-promotion. Our culture cultivates this belief that someone is more qualified to promote your art. You know your craft more intimately than anyone else which enables you to more accurately market your work. Self-motivation is also a more steadfast and purer form of success than a hired gun motivated by money.

Community is also a great contributor to self-promotion. There are many people who are empathetic towards people just starting out and are willing to either give advice or post about your work in a blog!

If she couldn’t be a writer/illustrator, what would she be? Being a writer and an illustrator actually involves being “other things”. My experience working for a detective agency highly influenced Ruby Winkle’s own inquisitive nature. My animation background helped me professionally in developing the appearance of Ruby and her friends. Being a writer and an illustrator actually encourages me to experience other roles.

What was her favourite game as a child? My favorite games as a child were usually of my own devise. I had a huge Mason jar full of crackerjack toys and miniature game pieces (like those from Dungeons and Dragons) that I used to populate my grandparents’ Japanese garden with. I always liked to create my own worlds.

What are her top five children’s books of all time? A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle. The Giver by Lois Lowry. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis. St. George and the Dragon retold by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by the lovely Trina Schart Hyman. Mythology!

What five things is she drawn to the most? Mystery. Archaeology/Anthology. Linguistics/Language. Nostalgia. Paranormal.

Kids Book Review will exclusively review Ruby Winkle, soon after publication. Watch this space!

Meghan’s beautifully illustrated book will be hitting the shelves soon. Keep an eye on www.rubywinkle.com for stockists and for more info on Meghan’s gorgeous work. You can also follow Meghan's blog here.

Review: The Very Hungy Caterpillar

Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Author: Eric Carle

Illustrator: Eric Carle

Publisher: Puffin

Format: Softcover

Language: English

ISBN: 0 140 56932 4

For ages: 0-6

Type: Picture Book

About: I can still, after all these decades, feel the warmth of my own mother beside me when I read The Very Hungry Caterpillar to my children. I can still recall the delight at that spectacular, special, fandangled page where the pillar bores through apples, pears, oranges and plums. I remember sticking my tiny finger into the holes and drooling in awe at the double page spread of cakes, cookies and sausages.

No wonder the Very Hungry Caterpillar remains a favourite with children modern day as well. Often, the books with the most simple premise and the most honest of illustrations, are the ones that succeed for so long.

There is nothing pretentious about this book. It is out and out gorgeousness, from the colours to the educational storyline – rich with message, even as kids don’t know it.

We have two of these books in our house – one for Ella and one Riley to keep forever. We laminate these types of books, and I so look forward to the moment my children’s children poke their fingers into the holes made by the Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Teachers' Notes

This book is available online:

SeekBooks AU$16.16
Booktopia AU$14.90
Fishpond AU$14.98

Pandas Like Jam

This morning I am walking around the house as though music is playing in some kind of American feel-good family movie.

Why? No, it's not because some magic fairy has swooped down and cleaned up my pigsty house. No, it's not because I woke to find twelve inches of fat had melted from my thighs. It's because it looks like I have found a new illustrator.

That's right. Someone good. Someone really good. Someone who can inject life and character and personality into my beloved characters like never before.

Can you hear that music playing??? In the meantime, what do you think of this absolutely scrumptious panda? Isn't he just divine? Who knew pandas were into jam? Don't you want to grab him and poke your fingers into his belly?

Let me know what you think of him. And very soon I hope to reveal the artist behind these gorgeous pictures... I finally feel well enroute to the next bigger, better and even more glorious Riley book.

poll by twiigs.com

Review: Skulduggery Pleasant

Title: Skulduggery Pleasant

Author: Derek Landy

Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s Books

Format: Paperback

Language: English

ISBN: 978 0 00 724162 0

For ages: 9-12 years – or mums into children’s literature

Type: Junior Fiction Novel

About: If you have a child who likes the quirkiness of Lemony Snickett and the excitement and non-stop action of Harry Potter, then it is time to introduce them to Derek Landy’s wonderful anti-hero, Skullduggery Pleasant.

There is something strange about this character and it is not until you get close enough to peer under the large heavy coat and hat drawn down over his face that you realise that there isn’t that much to him really – just a skeleton, in fact.

There is some stock standards in this story - the family secret, the ordinary child who discovers they have extraordinary abilities, good versus evil, and of course, the annoying relatives... but none are as you would expect to find them. Predictable enough to provide comfort but quirky enough to challenge.

Even as an adult, I found this hard to put down and full of bits that are so funny you have to search out someone to read them to, and laugh out loud together.

Landy takes a lot of our assumptions about this style of fantasy book and turns them all on their head, upside down and shakes them all around – all done with a wonderful sense of humour.

So, if you or your children don’t like to judge a book by its cover, then this book takes that theme of life and runs off on a great adventure with it.

Related books:
Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing With Fire (Book 2)
Skullduggery Pleasant: The Faceless Ones (Book 3)

- review by Cate Hale

Review: Miss Spider's ABC

Title: Miss Spider’s ABC

Author: David Kirk

Illustrator: David Kirk

Publisher: Hodder Callaway

Format: Hardcover with dust jacket

Language: English

ISBN: 0 7336 0935 X

For ages: 0-8

Type: Picture Book

About: For those of you who are familiar with the original Little Miss Spider (a book I can still recite verbatim), you will understand how addictive David Kirk’s and quirky rhymes can be. Kirk has a wonderful knack for writing books for very young children that also get the toes of adults curling with glee.

While I’m not an enormous fan of computer-generated illustrations, Kirk takes his high tech pictures to a whole new level of class and glamour – using the most exquisite colour and quirky characters that walk a fine line between cute and a little frightening. This style is so reminiscent of the work of early illustrators of children’s book – and lend such personality and drama to his books.

Kirk’s play on alliteration charms the tongue – fireflies fandango, ladybugs laugh, moths mingle. Kids will love listening to mum and dad curling their tongue around each letter.

Miss Spider’s ABC is a celebration of entymology in all its various forms – taking us on a bright and beautiful surprise journey through the alphabet to a highly-anticipated ending… an ending that won’t let us down.

Related books:
Little Miss Spider
Miss Spider’s Tea Party
Miss Spider’s Wedding
Miss Spider’s New Car
Miss Spider: The Counting Book
Little Miss Spider: Sunny Patch School (part of the 2009 Premier's Reading Challenge for NSW)

Teachers' Notes

This book is available online:

Booktopia AU$26.40
SeekBooks AU$32.00
Fishpond AU$25.99
Amazon US$11.53

Review: Willy the Wimp

Title: Willy the Wimp

Author: Anthony Browne

Illustrator: Anthony Browne

Publisher: Walker Books

Format: Softcover

Language: English

ISBN: 0 7445 4363 0

For ages: 3-8

Type: Picture Book

About: Willy is a skinny, wimpy chimp. A worrier, a wuss, but likeable, nonetheless. When Willy is bumped and thumped by thugs one too many times, he decides to take muscle matters into his own hands and do something about his lot.

Part of the delight of this classic story are Brown’s wonderful illustrations, using beautiful page-desin elements along the way.

Kids and parents will love watching Willy as he trains and builds those biceps… and becomes a whole new chimp… only to discover that despite his outer covering, he still is the same old Willy on the inside.

A charming book with an equally charming message.

Related books:
Willy and Hugh
Willy the Wizard
Willy the Champ
Willy the Dreamer
Willy's Pictures