Customer Reviews

Wee Gillis (New York Review Children's Collection)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book caught our eye because of our Scottish heritage, and we didn't realise what a treat was in store for us.

The pen and ink illustrations are clever and humorous, adding to the delightful story of Wee Gillis, a young Scottish lad who is faced with the choice of where he will live - the Highlands or the Lowlands.

Although the book isn't overly simplistic, our 2 year old son enjoyed it as much as our 9 year old niece, and has requested it be read over and over and over! No problem for us - we enjoy it too.

Find a copy, buy a copy, and you won't regret it!

What started out as a crazy high school joke, led me to read this Scottish tale, a highlight of my friend's childhood. What I found was a great story about compromise, team work and love....the original black and white illustrations add to the overall quaintness and make this a definite must! My friends and I enjoyed it so much, that we named our team "Wee Gillis" in honor of Gillis' determination.

Originally published in 1938, this one is a delight to see back in print thanks to New York Review Books. The Scottish setting is charming and the central message, to be who you are, is important. Not content to be a hunter like his father's family or a farmer like his mother's family, Wee Gillis finds his own place in this world as a bagpiper. Baby boomers will be familiar with Robert Lawson's illustrations from such children's classics as Rabbit Hill, Ben And Me and The Story of Ferdinand, also written by Munro Leaf. I adore this book so much I named my dear and very independent Cairn Terrier puppy Wee Gillis.

This is a great book. My grandma always reads it to us. My mom has been looking for it for a long time. We bought it at Barnes and Noble dot com. They had a better selection that here. It's just the truth, don't get mad!

My son checked this book out from our public library 6 years ago. We have been looking for it ever sense. We love it. It is a great demonstration of the highlands and the low lands. Would be a great book for a bagpiper to read to children. I am thankful for the out of print books found at Amazon.This book should have never gone out of print.

This was required reading for a homeschool class. We were so delighted with the book, that I have looked for it periodically. I'm glad you have it! It made me want to learn more about Scotland and bagpiping!

"Wee Gillis" is a classic of children's literature, and this is an excellent new reprint. There is no dustjacket, but the book has a very strong cardboard cover and good quality paper.
The book combines an interesting commentary on the cultures of the Scottish highlands and lowlands with a simple and rather old-fashioned story of how a boy takes his place in the adult world.
The black and white illustrations complement the text beautifully, and almost tell the story on their own.

Another great book by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson. Nice story and great artwork. Recommended if you already own and like Ferdinand.

So glad it's back...this classic book on how different people can get along. Not just for kids.

When I was a six-year-old, "Wee Gillis" was my second favorite book. ("The Story of Ferdinand" by the same Munro Leaf, author,and Robert Lawson,illustrator,was my first.) It is a joy to find that "Wee Gillis" is available in this new edition and that, at 74, I still enjoy it. I am giving it to my great-nephew.

Just one question. I thought that in the U.K. "oatmeal" refers to the uncooked cereal. When cooked, it becomes "porridge" if thick, "burgoo" if thinner and gluey, and "gruel" if very thin. Children would be familiar with the word "porridge". That's what the Three Bears had for breakfast.
Do they use "oatmeal" for the cooked product in Scotland, as we do in the U.S.A.?