Willy The Wimp by Anthony Browne

Willy The Wimp by Anthony Browne
Buy Willy The Wimp by Anthony Browne at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: For Sharing
Reviewer: Lorraine McDonald
Summary: Still looking good on the 30th anniversary of its publication, Willy The Wimp provides both an entertaining read and a lesson in life for younger children.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 32	Date: September 2014
Publisher: Walker Books
ISBN: 978-1406356410
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Willy is a mild mannered chimp. He apologises even when it is not his fault, which is most of the time. In the mean streets of town, his timid manner, Fair Isle tank top and Oxford brogues mark him out as an easy target for the gorilla gang. That is until the day he spots a mail order advertisement which guarantees a transformation from wimp to loud talking, sand kicking, muscle bulging man. Willy sends off the coupon, some cash and then waits…

Willy The Wimp is thirty years old. Despite being a standard on many educational reading lists as a resource to help children who are being bullied, this was my first encounter with Willy. I’m not sure whether it was ever author Anthony Browne’s explicit intention that Willy should be more than an entertaining story. On one level, this is an endearing tale of a little fella who makes good, told with a sharp eye for humour and some very funny photo realistic illustrations. On another level, it’s an aide for children who are at the sharp end of the school yard. On first read I was a bit surprised that Willy’s (successful) response to the bullies is to beef up. I’m more familiar with children’s books conveying a message that it’s ok to be who you are. On reflection though, I think the message here is about resilience. Even if things aren’t going well you have it within yourself to change and make things better. And Willy doesn’t just get bigger and stronger (and better at aerobics), he actually starts to feel PROUD.

This is a positive tale that handles a difficult subject matter lightly. The illustrations are varied and delightful from the newspaper coupon scrap, to the jogging in the park. I particularly liked the double page spread of Willy’s weight lifting progress depicting the weights and Willy getting bigger.

Though mail order coupons have long been consigned to the past, and zumba may have replaced aerobics as the ‘sport de jour’, this book is still as relevant to today's generation of children as it was to children growing up in the 80's.

Not every gorilla is a bully - read Little Beauty for a touching tale from the same author-illustrator.

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