Customer Reviews

Willoughby & the Lion

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Willoughby lived in a really small house. It really was a disappointment because it was in the middle of nowhere and there wasn't a friend to be had. The only thing around was a big old rock smack dab in the middle of the yard.

It wasn't long before things got a bit more interesting. There soon appeared a marvelous golden lion sitting on top of that rock. When Willoughby asked him why he was there, the lion told him he was going to grant him ten wishes. Mmmmmm! The lion mentioned to him that "unless you wish for the most wonderful thing of all, I'll be stuck on this rock forever." Willoughby started guessing, but even after nine wishes he wasn't successful. What was that special wish?

This book blends simple black and white line drawings with some of the most unusual visual art I've never seen in a children's book. It has a limited palette, predominantly the gold seen on the cover of the book. I was impressed with the smooth flow of the writing and message that teaches the young child that the most valuable things in life aren't material. There is a removable gold cardboard coin with the answer to Willoughby's special wish in the back of the book for your child to cherish.

A teacher at my school shared this really special story with me. Willoughby is a lonely boy who meets a lion who is able to grant him wishes....so he starts wishing for material things which are all granted. I know....you are already loving this book since we are surrounded by material mania. And how many times have you gone out shopping to fill a void? Guilty. Sharing this message with kids is a must...the internal vs external needs. In the end the boy is faced with a decision where he must choose between the two. If we choose the external stuff then we miss out on the really important things in life. I really enjoyed explaining this and giving real life examples to kids. What's really more important? A toy? Or how we make each other feel and what we can do to help one another? You'll love this book. I'd love to see more with this message.

The illustrations for Willoughby and the Lion are simple and stylishly done. I love the restrained use of color (just black, white and gold) as well as the metallic sheen on each page. The characters are really cute and engaging. They story is funny, imaginative and teaches the value of friendship. I highly recommend both Willoughby books!

Greg Foley, Willoughby and the Lion (Bowen Press, 2009)

Covers much the same ground as The Bake Shop Ghost (elsewhere in this issue), but much more focused on design than on story, and suffers for it. It is, however, a very pretty thing to look at, and Foley draws on some interesting source material for at least one of the pictures here (he notes it in an afterword); adults may find more to get out of the particular frame than kids will. My biggest problem with it, however, is the over-dramatization of the resolution; again I come back to The Bake Shop Ghost, which was subtler in its ending, and more accomplished. Still, the kids will like the shiny, and the parents will as well, though I don't think this one will stand up to the repeated re-readings that one has to take into account when considering kidlit. **

The moral of the story is great, but I expected it to be longer and more in-depth. The illustrations were disappointing and "blah".

Perhaps it is mostly fashion people who have followed Foley's innovative work in the magazine "V" and the art book series "Visionaire"...now he has used his incredible design sense to create this magnificent book for children! The book is a testament to how great design enriches our lives... and why not start young? With its impressive cover and unique drawings, (not to mention wonderful story,) "Willoughby and the Lion" brings a whole other level to a child's library.

I love the message of true friendship in this book but I also really appreciate the artwork. It is both simple enough for a child and sophisticated enough to surprise and delight adults. Very unique and makes a wonderful gift. A children's book that is actually cool.

Willoughby wasn't at all happy with his new home until he found a lion that would grant him wishes. A wonderful book full of imagination, charm, and good writing. A great read aloud book to use with Six Trait writing in a classroom. There is also a lesson to be learned in this book - materialistic things do not make you happy.

This book is marketed at the 4-8 age group, but my preschooler appeared bored by the illustrations. The story is about a young boy, Willoughby, who is unhappy in his new home, and meets a lion sitting on a rock in the backyard. The lion grants the little boy 10 wishes, with the advice that he wish for something really wonderful. The boy wishes for a bigger house, a huge roller-coaster, and other fantastic things that make the boy happy, but the lion seems unhappy. Finally, the boy realizes that his wishes were selfish, and tries to do something to make the lion happy. It's a nice story about friendship, though the illustrations, in two-tone, i.e. black and gold [with the use of digital images] were not very appealing either to me or my preschooler. I guess this is a matter of taste. I found the story ok, but there are other stories with similar messages about friendship and giving which I felt were done better, the classic example being "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein.

The story is about a young boy that has moved into a new, smaller house. He is bored and feels as though he has nothing to do or anyone to play with. The young boy meets a golden lion sitting on a rock in his yard. The lion grants the boy 10 wishes. The lion will only be freed from the rock if the boy wishes for the most wonderful thing of all. After nine wishes, the boy still hasn't wished for "the most wonderful thing". The lion becomes sad and slowly the boy begins to realize what "the most wonderful thing" is.
We found the book to be a great way for students to think about what things are most important to them. The book is recommended for ages 4-7, our experiences have led us to believe the book is more suited for ages 7-10. The illustrations are very plain (black, white, and gold). The illustrations are not pleasing or attention grabbing. We would recommend the book for upper elementary students (grades 2-5). The book would tie into Character Counts or Character Education.