Willie the Worrying Dog

by David Yuen, Micah Zhang (Illustrator)

Overview

Willie can't help but worry. Worrying is the worst thing ever. And now his owner wants to take him to a new park where everything's different. Oh no, Willie feels doomed! What if things go wrong? What if something bad happens? Will Willie make it? Or will worry get the best of him?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798218176198
Publisher:	Upward Bound Press
Publication date:	06/10/2023
Pages:	36
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

Editorial Reviews

2023-06-21
A small, anxious dog has big concerns in Yuen’s picture book.

Willie is a nervous canine who “worrie[s] himself silly” every day; indeed, he spends most of his time fretting. His owner drives him to a brand-new dog park, and Willie imagines terribly scary scenarios there involving mean dogs, bears, and even a flood. After they arrive, Willie trembles as his owner brings him inside the play area. Sadie and Rex, two dogs, immediately come over, and he braces for the worst and is surprised when they invite him to play with them. A storm comes, and the trio hide under a bench. Rex and Sadie help Willie imagine scenarios that might be causing the thunder and lightning, as a way to ease his fear. Back home, Willie thinks about how none of the scary things he imagined at the new dog park came to pass; instead, he made friends. The message, expressed in a narrative of rhyming couplets, effectively teaches readers that new experiences aren’t always terrifying and sometimes change things for the better. Zhang’s full-color cartoon illustrations are cute, especially in their portrayal of Willie’s oversized head and expressions. Although it’s aimed at slightly older children, the text and rhyme scheme will be easily comprehensible to readers ages 4 to 8.

An appealingly illustrated work with an upbeat message about trying new things.

Kirkus Reviews