Willa and Woof by Jacqueline Harvey

Willa and Woof is a short feel-good story about 8-year-old Willa, her best friend Tae, and her Irish wolfhound companion, Woof. In this story Willa visits her grumpy elderly neighbour called Frank every day. She humours him and softens his heart with her jokes and antics. In turn he tells her stories and gives her crackers and lime cordial. Frank was once a champion pigeon racer but now his life at Sunset Views Retirement Village is restricted by rules. He has one pigeon left called Mimi and one day she goes missing. Willa blames herself and enlists Tae to help find Mimi. One of her strategies to find Mimi results in the neighbours being annoyed by plagues of birds and bird poo. Then Frank goes missing too. 

This was a very enjoyable story told by the big hearted and spirited Willa. Her family are equally kind and Tae adds a little bit of eccentricity as he dresses up as a different heroic character each week. There are many comic illustrations throughout the book that match the fun tone of the story. The subject matter is light but broaches matters of respect for others, honesty, and responsibility for your actions. Willa and Woof is very suitable as a class read-aloud or for children who are beginning to read short novels. The next in this new series is due in September. Jacqueline Harvey is of course the author of other popular series such as the Clementine Rose and Alice-Miranda series.

Themes: Older people, Birds, Kindness, Honesty.

Jo Marshall