Customer Reviews

Willy the Champ

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Willy the Champ is a book that allows a parent, teacher or clergyman to explain posititive character traits. This story with its simplistic words and magnificent illustrations chronicals the efforts of a chimpanzee viewed as not apt at doing much of anything to fit in amongst his peers. Willy's character traits include compassion, perserverance, patience, courage, self-discipline/responsibility and self-esteem. This book will reinforce a positive value system that all children can and will identify with.

The illustrations are well done and quite funny, but the message for kids is not one I'd like to teach my girl. Willy tries lots of things - biking, swimming, soccer - and doesn't do well at any of them. This could be a good lesson in trying to find what you enjoy and that not everyone is good at sports, but the climax of the story left me baffled. Willy accidentally beats up the bully and becomes the hero. I don't get it. It seems he should have found something he enjoyed doing or that he was able to do well or there should have been a humorous end so it is just a fun book. As it is, it is a strange little childrens book with gorillas in bling, pantyhose and speedos and a little chimp who can't do anything he tries. The references in the drawings (Magritte, Marilyn Monroe) were lost on my 13-year-old stepdaughters, who thought this was the weirdest childrens book they had ever seen.