Willow the Armadillo, mixed results on a book with many messages

Somewhere between reality competition shows, Marvel movies and the love of books lies Willow the Armadillo. She’s an armadillo who wants to be a hero. She also loves picture books. A way to engage both of her passions is to become a hero in a picture book. The result is a cute book that never quite boils over with interest, but will entertain kids four through six who are looking for animal fun.

Granted, that’s a narrow range of interest and that’s partially because the book is challenging to nail down. Is it a book strictly about being brave in the face of danger? Perhaps it’s a parable about the challenges and frustrations of fame? It could be a story about being strong, resilient and not giving up. In a way, Willow the Armadillo is all of these things.

Willow is an armadillo who loves books. She’s well known at her local library and deep down she wants to star in a picture book of her own. Its front stage, spotlight for her only as she has no desire in playing second fiddle. Her parents are real with her, telling her that it’ll be a tough road. However, Willow persists, goes to every picture book hero tryout and even changes her image to hopefully get what she’s always wanted. 

It all comes to a frustrating end, or so she thinks, when the contest ends and the winner is similar to her, but not actually her. It’s only when she starts being herself again that she realizes that she’s been a hero all along. Kids older than six will find the book slightly smaltzy or just a bit on the saccharine side of illustrated book. The art from Dave Mottram is big, colorful, playful and helps keep those on the upper scale of the book’s interest secured. Had the art been more rounded or aimed at a younger demographic then the book would’ve been almost exclusively for those pre-k audiences.

The lessons that the book are trying to cover are all admirable and ones that kids need to learn and for a narrow set of them; Willow The Armadillo is just what they’re looking for. However, for the most part this is one that most families will check out in the library and forget it.

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