From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Foley (
Thank You Bear) scores points for unique visual presentation in this sumptuously produced, two-color book, instantly distinguished by its heavily embossed jacket. Willoughby Smith has moved to a disappointing new home, pictured in a flimsy black line on an expanse of white. One day, Willoughby sees a lion perched on a boulder. Rendered in metallic gold ink, the lion shines, its gleam set off by the book's highly coated paper. The lion promises Willoughby 10 wishes but adds, Unless you wish for the most wonderful thing of all, I'll be stuck on this rock forever. Willoughby's first nine wishes benefit himself, from a palace shown in gold on black (it resembles a crisply engraved metal plate) to a hot-air-balloon-submarine, intricately diagrammed in white on gold. With every wish, the ratio of gold to gray increases and Foley's compositions, mingling line drawings with digitally manipulated b&w photos, become more complex. Brassy layers and a sprinkling of stars imply fantastic wealth, leavened with grayscale pixels; the elegant combination of the two basic colors boosts the visual impact exponentially. The 10th wish, whispered to the lion, finally reverses the acquisitive sequence; Foley implies selflessness at last, signaled by an expansive sunrise of gold lines against pure white, and a small gold coin labeled true friend (a removable facsimile is stored within the interior back cover). A second Willoughby title, about Willoughby and the moon, will use black and metallic silver ink. Ages 4–7.
(Feb.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3—An embossed front cover, line drawings, and eye-popping black and gold and digital illustrations combine to produce a stunning visual representation of the brief text of this friendship story. Willoughby, dejected because of an unwanted move, sees a gold lion sitting on a rock in his backyard. The lion can grant him 10 wishes but warns: "unless you wish for the most wonderful thing of all, I'll be stuck on this rock forever." The boy wishes for a bigger house, a roller-coaster ride, the fastest shoes in the world, and many more delights. Each time, the lion complies on a grand scale. The house becomes a magnificent golden palace; the ride is provided by a giant black-and-gold roller coaster; the shoes are huge golden sneakers. Crowds stretching over a spread come to observe Willoughby and his amazing lion. But still, the youngster hasn't made the wish that will free the animal. He sits in black gloom as he dreams of running free, his longing represented by a golden spread of cavorting lions, their movement captured in flowing white outlines. Finally, an enlightened Willoughby whispers his most important wish to the lion and awakens the next morning to find his cozy house once again, the lion gone, and in his place, a gold coin with the words, "true friend." This wonderful offering is the first of several forthcoming stories about these two friends.—
Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
