Worrying Will by Susannah McFarlane

Ill. by Lachlan Creagh. Little Mates series. Scholastic 2013. ISBN 9781742837406.
(Ages: 3+) Alphabet books. Australian animals. Worrying Will is a new addition to the Little Mates series. Will the wombat is the most worrisome wombat in the whole west. Unfortunately the worrying causes him to wobble when he walks and get lots of wrinkles. Every page is overflowing with words and phrases beginning with the focus letter w. His worries become almost overwhelming, until one windy Wednesday his friends Wyatt, Willow, Wes and Whitney decide to help him. Each Australian animal helps Will overcome his worries, Whitney whistling away working on his wrinkles with a rolling pin is a fun page. Small children enjoy the Little Mates series engaging with the text and finding all the w words in the illustrations. The final message of talking about overcoming worries opens up a positive dialogue between the reader and child. The Little Mates series are books just right for a small hand to hold and explore the funny illustrations.
Rhyllis Bignell