Willodeen
Parents say
Based on 1 review
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Willodeen is another cheer-worthy, inspiring, animal-centered tale written by Newbery Medal recipient Katherine Applegate (The One and Only Ivan) and illustrated by Carlos Santoso. Here, an 11-year-old orphan, traumatized by the wholesale slaughter of odd-looking creatures (called screechers) she loves, heeds the advice of her caregivers to do something useful with her anger. Unfolding events involve a new friend (whose mom died some time ago), a toy animal who comes to life, a lot of research and observation -- and summoning the courage to speak to a hostile, clueless crowd to share your findings. Violence includes an old screecher killed by hunters before Willodeen's eyes. Hunters brandish weapons and speak harshly to Willodeen. Willodeen's entire family, and their beloved animals, perished in a fire when she was 6 and she's still grieving. While the story takes place in a fantasy world (though one where people still quote Shakespeare), it has a lot of detail about how ecosystems and symbiotic relationships work, and how things go awry when they're out of balance. There are also strong themes of family, friendship, and community that includes more than humans.
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What's the Story?
Eleven-year-old WILLODEEN lives in the village of Perchance, where life revolves around the annual fall festival celebrating the hummingbears, cute little airborne critters like winged teddy bears. Since time immemorial they have come to build their bubble nests in the blue willow trees around the town, drawing hordes of admirers, including free-spending tourists. The tourists complain a lot about another group of animals, the screechers, who in addition to being noisy aren't much to look at and also make a fearful stink when frightened. Willodeen, the only survivor of a fire that killed her family when she was 6, loves all animals, but especially the screechers, and when the town decides to placate the tourists by putting a bounty on the screechers, she notes sadly that there's only one left -- and he's killed before her eyes by hunters intent on collecting a few coins. The two eccentric old ladies who've cared for her since she lost her family note that there is magic in tears born from anger, and perhaps she should find something useful to do with all that anger. As she ponders their words, a handcrafted toy screecher she's been given by her new friend Connor comes to life. Maybe it was those tears. But how are Willodeen and Connor going to keep Quinby, as they soon name the little screecher, safe? Especially since they're not exactly sure what she eats?
Is It Any Good?
Katherine Applegate's tale of two tweens, their love for misunderstood creatures, and magic born of righteous fury will delight animal lovers and anyone who's ever been outraged by harm to innocents. Eleven-year-old characters Willodeen (orphaned, introverted, traumatized, a scientist at heart) and Connor (motherless, kindhearted, and a brilliant artist in the making) will have readers on the edge of their seats cheering their efforts as they strive to protect the baby screecher brought to life by Willodeen's tears. They'll also love the supporting cast of characters, from orphan hummingbear Duuzuu to the two old women who care for Willodeen, who enrich the story. Along the way, there's a lot of practical, accessible detail about symbiosis (a relationship between two unalike organisms), ecosystems, and how they work. Carlos Santoso's detailed, appealing illustrations enrich the story by bringing the characters and scenes to life.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about ecosystems and how they work. Do you think Willodeen offers a good illustration of this idea? What other stories do you know about people trying to improve the environment and care for the other species we share it with? Do you find their stories inspiring, or is it all too overwhelming to deal with?
In the story, the townsfolk set out to exterminate the screechers because their stinky ways are messing with the tourist trade. They offer a bounty on each one killed. What do you think of this idea as a way to address the issue?
Have you ever felt like Willodeen when she says that it seems like the whole village seems to have read the same rule book on friendship -- and then thrown it in the river before she could read it? What brought this feeling on? How did you deal with it?
Book Details
- Author: Katherine Applegate
- Illustrator: Charles Santoso
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Activism, Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models, Science and Nature
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
- Publication date: September 7, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 272
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: September 9, 2021
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