Kids Lit
Books and More for Children and Teens

Silly Billy by Anthony Browne.

Anthony Browne is one of my favorite picture book authors.  He has a wonderfully skewed perspective and his art is unique and great fun. 

With Silly Billy, Browne introduces Billy who is a bit of a worrier.  He worries about everything while trying to fall asleep.  And I mean everything from hats to shoes to giant birds.  Even though his father and mother try to reassure him, it doesn't work.  Then when he is staying over at his grandmother's house, she gives him some worry dolls.  And they work at least for a little while, until Billy begins to worry about the dolls being worried.  In the end, Billy solves that problem and moves on with a lot fewer worries.

The text and illustrations work well together, as they always do in Browne's books.  His deep colors work especially well when contrasted with the almost colorless worry pages.  The blissful pictures of Billy fast asleep are perfection. 

So many kids carry worries around with them and this gives a creative solution to dealing with those overwhelming worries.  Pair it with Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes, and you have the start of a bibliotherapy session.  Just kidding!  But they do make a nice pairing.

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Comments

THE BEST BOOK EVER!
-Rebecca, Age 5

Posted by: Rebecca | March 1, 2007 6:03 PM

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