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ctoca's review against another edition
4.0
Willoughby & the Lion is a heartwarming story that both children and adults can enjoy.
The story entails a young boy who is very unhappy in his new home. He finds an enchanted lion in the backyard who tells the boy that he can grant him ten wishes. The boy immediately starts wishing for fantastical things, and the lion becomes very sad over the course of time. He tells the boy that he misses home and his lion friends. The boy tries to cheer him up, but the he still hadn't wished for "the most wonderful thing of all." It's up to the boy to wish for the one thing that will make the lion happy.
The illustrations in this book are gorgeous combinations of black outlining and gold gilt. The shimmery gold outlines everything magic, bringing the book to life.
This book is a great story with wonderful illustrations to boot. People of all ages can enjoy the story of a young boy learning valuable life lessons with the help of his magical friend.
The story entails a young boy who is very unhappy in his new home. He finds an enchanted lion in the backyard who tells the boy that he can grant him ten wishes. The boy immediately starts wishing for fantastical things, and the lion becomes very sad over the course of time. He tells the boy that he misses home and his lion friends. The boy tries to cheer him up, but the he still hadn't wished for "the most wonderful thing of all." It's up to the boy to wish for the one thing that will make the lion happy.
The illustrations in this book are gorgeous combinations of black outlining and gold gilt. The shimmery gold outlines everything magic, bringing the book to life.
This book is a great story with wonderful illustrations to boot. People of all ages can enjoy the story of a young boy learning valuable life lessons with the help of his magical friend.
kristenremenar's review against another edition
2.0
The art is very cool, black ink and gold. I like that the best wish of all is for a true friend, but it seemed a little gimmicky - and why do all the boy's wishes vanish at the end? Still, visually dazzling, and nice message.
alysona's review against another edition
4.0
I can't decide what I think of the story, but the illustrations are stunning. From simple to intricate, serious to humorous they are tied together by the black/white/gold color scheme.
nikimarion's review against another edition
4.0
The design and mixed media illustrations in this picturebook are home runs! The premise, maybe a bunt. But I LOVE the removable cardboard coin embedded in the back cover--every design element was created with great intentionality and flair. No wonder Greg Foley's the creative director for magazines like V.
maidmarianlib's review
5.0
A good story about friendship. The illustrations are stunning with the gold elements.
readitcourt's review against another edition
5.0
A little boy moves to a new town and finds a golden lion in his backyard. The lion gives the boy 10 wishes and it is up to Willoughby to figure out what the best thing in the whole world is, and it turns out it isn't a big house or a rollercoaster.
xterminal's review
2.0
Greg Foley, Willoughby and the Lion (Bowen Press, 2009)
Covers much the same ground as The Bake Shop Ghost (elsewhere in this issue), but much more focused on design than on story, and suffers for it. It is, however, a very pretty thing to look at, and Foley draws on some interesting source material for at least one of the pictures here (he notes it in an afterword); adults may find more to get out of the particular frame than kids will. My biggest problem with it, however, is the over-dramatization of the resolution; again I come back to The Bake Shop Ghost, which was subtler in its ending, and more accomplished. Still, the kids will like the shiny, and the parents will as well, though I don't think this one will stand up to the repeated re-readings that one has to take into account when considering kidlit. **
Covers much the same ground as The Bake Shop Ghost (elsewhere in this issue), but much more focused on design than on story, and suffers for it. It is, however, a very pretty thing to look at, and Foley draws on some interesting source material for at least one of the pictures here (he notes it in an afterword); adults may find more to get out of the particular frame than kids will. My biggest problem with it, however, is the over-dramatization of the resolution; again I come back to The Bake Shop Ghost, which was subtler in its ending, and more accomplished. Still, the kids will like the shiny, and the parents will as well, though I don't think this one will stand up to the repeated re-readings that one has to take into account when considering kidlit. **
heathermassa's review
5.0
I completely LOVED the illustrations in this book! LOVED LOVED LOVED! Seriously, the story was good, fine--about wishes and what really matters, but the star is the illustrations! Just in black, white and gold...and AMAZING!
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