ABOUT THE BOOK
Willard DoGooder and the Trail of Friends
Written by Jen Kirkley
Illustrated by M. Brayer
Ages: 0+ | 38 Pages
Publisher: Palmetto Publishing | ISBN: 979-8-82292-014-9
Publisher’s Book Summary: Willard DoGooder has trouble making friends in his new class. Things are just … different. One day, he spots a magical trail and sets out on an adventure, where he meets four new friends along the trail. Through these friendships, Willard remembers his teacher’s advice on how to think through differences and appreciate each other just as we are.
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MY REVIEW
Willard is dealing with a situation many children have as the new school year begins - he is in a different class from his friends and worries about how different everything feels, especially since he hasn’t made any new friends yet. His teacher tells him his feelings are natural, but to keep this in mind: “name the difference, find something good about it, and move on with kindness.” As Willard ponders this on his walk home, he discovers a trail that he has never seen before. He meets new animals and uses his teacher’s advice to help each of them with a problem. By the end of his journey, Willard realizes he has learned something from each of his new friends and that “differences aren’t all that different when you love and accept others just as they are.” Young readers will enjoy the illustrations that show Willard learning to dance with Theodore the bear as Theo twirls and Willard high steps alongside. The sight of a tiger blowing bubbles and his boast that “My lungs are so strong that I can fill any jungle with bubbles!” may have readers wanting to find their own bottle of bubbles. And a squirrel throwing away nuts because they give her a stomach ache is sure to cause a few giggles. But along with the laughter is the theme present throughout the book - moving forward with kindness can make many situations better and help us to find new friends along the way. This is a great story to share with kiddos feeling apprehensive about being in a new class and making new friends.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jen Kirkley is a wife and mother of four who works as a physician assistant in cardiothoracic surgery. She lives in Louisiana with her family in a house they have enjoyed renovating over the past ten years. On a daily basis, someone in her home is usually dressed up as a superhero or ninja. Jen enjoys running, reading, tea lattes, and road trips.
For more information, visit dogoodbookseries.com
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