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A sweet chapter book for, I would guess, late elementary school children. Full of love, tolerance, kindness, and joy, it also deals with themes of loss, environmental degradation, frustration, cruelty, and death. I am also impressed with the way in which the author deals with a protagonist who, by all appearances, is neurodivergent—antisocial, has difficulty making friends, strongly prefers being alone, sometimes becomes focused on a single topic to the exclusion of all else—though Willodeen could just as plausibly be using these behaviors to cope with her deep grief.
Considering the audience for whom this is intended, the environmental message is welcome and cogent. Had this been for an adult readership, I might have called this aspect of the book a bit heavy-handed, but Applegate skillfully negotiates this territory. Her creation of a parallel world and the creatures in it is also delightful.
I found the use of colloquial language and phrasing to be a bit forced, trying too hard to make these rural people folksy and therefore relatable, I suppose. Of course, since this is an alternative world, it could be claimed that this is just how people talk there; I nonetheless found it a bit too cute.
Despite that caveat, if you are looking for a sweet fable with a touch of sadness, an appealing plot, attractive characters, and a hopeful ending, you could do worse than to pick up Willodeen.
Considering the audience for whom this is intended, the environmental message is welcome and cogent. Had this been for an adult readership, I might have called this aspect of the book a bit heavy-handed, but Applegate skillfully negotiates this territory. Her creation of a parallel world and the creatures in it is also delightful.
I found the use of colloquial language and phrasing to be a bit forced, trying too hard to make these rural people folksy and therefore relatable, I suppose. Of course, since this is an alternative world, it could be claimed that this is just how people talk there; I nonetheless found it a bit too cute.
Despite that caveat, if you are looking for a sweet fable with a touch of sadness, an appealing plot, attractive characters, and a hopeful ending, you could do worse than to pick up Willodeen.