Willoughby and the Lion (LIBRARY EDITION) Book

This is the story of Willoughby, whose new house feels too small and very lonely.

It's also the story of an enchanted lion and spectacular wishes come true: of roller coasters, and fast, fast shoes, and enormous crowds of people.

But most of all, it's the story of one important question: What is the most wonderful thing of all?

Award-winning author-illustrator Greg Foley grew up in Austin, Texas, and attended the Rhode Island School of Design. He now designs and creative-directs Visionaire, V Magazine, and VMAN and lives in Greenwich Village, New York. Willoughby & the Lion is the first book in the Willoughby series.

Publishers Weekly

Foley (Thank You Bear) scores points for unique visual presentation in this sumptuously produced, two-color book, instantly distinguished by its heavily embossed jacket. Willoughby Smith has moved to a disappointing new home, pictured in a flimsy black line on an expanse of white. One day, Willoughby sees a lion perched on a boulder. Rendered in metallic gold ink, the lion shines, its gleam set off by the book's highly coated paper. The lion promises Willoughby 10 wishes but adds, "Unless you wish for the most wonderful thing of all, I'll be stuck on this rock forever." Willoughby's first nine wishes benefit himself, from a palace shown in gold on black (it resembles a crisply engraved metal plate) to "a hot-air-balloon-submarine," intricately diagrammed in white on gold. With every wish, the ratio of gold to gray increases and Foley's compositions, mingling line drawings with digitally manipulated b&w photos, become more complex. Brassy layers and a sprinkling of stars imply fantastic wealth, leavened with grayscale pixels; the elegant combination of the two basic colors boosts the visual impact exponentially. The 10th wish, whispered to the lion, finally reverses the acquisitive sequence; Foley implies selflessness at last, signaled by an expansive sunrise of gold lines against pure white, and a small gold coin labeled "true friend" (a removable facsimile is stored within the interior back cover). A second Willoughby title, about Willoughby and the moon, will use black and metallic silver ink. Ages 4-7. (Feb.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.