Title: Woefully Worried Wilma
Author: Madelyn Anderson
Publisher: Author’s Tranquillity Press
ISBN: 978-1-957208-97-8
Pages: 17
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book
Reviewed by: Gabriella Harrison
Hollywood Book Reviews
Madelyn Anderson’s Woefully Worried Wilma, tells the story of Millie and Wilma. Millie is Wilma’s friend, and she encourages a constantly worried and overthinking Wilma to step out of her comfort zone. Every day, Millie shows up to play with Wilma, but Wilma always has one excuse or the other for why she can’t go out to play. Wilma is a perfect example of the saying that if you don’t do it now and get it over with, you’ll always have an excuse. However, Millie doesn’t give up. She tells Wilma about the different experiences she could miss out on by acting based on her fears.
The cover art is beautifully illustrated and accurately depicts the subject matter of this book. The expression on Wilma’s face was nicely captured. The attention to detail is also wonderful. The placement of her hands, combined with her facial expression, makes it clear that she is worried. Millie presents a contrast with her bright smile and outstretched hand, ready to help and encourage Wilma. This beautiful illustration doesn’t stop at the cover. It continues to the very end of the book, as Wilma’s expression changes from worry to surprise when Millie tells her about the wonderful experiences she can have by going out. Then panic when her worries come to pass, and finally, pure joy when she discovers the fulfilling feeling of trying and learning new things.
The bright color scheme is attractive and makes the story come alive, which will really grab children’s attention. This is a perfect book to teach children about overcoming their fears and grabbing opportunities due to the mellifluous writing style, poetic language, and attractive font. Children between the ages of five and eleven will enjoy and appreciate this story. Likewise, it can be read to younger children. Due to the poetic writing style in which rhyming words are used to convey Wilma’s thoughts in a sing-song pattern, some portions of this book can be transformed into a song to help children remember the lessons. For example, this portion, “Each time you conquer, A worry or woe, You learn something new, And it helps you to grow. Then you can help, Someone else who is blue,” can be made into a song.
There are many important life lessons in this book. It conveys the importance of having friends to push us and encourage us to make that jump we’re afraid to make. To try new things and grab hold of every opportunity we can while we can. It also shows that when we worry about things we can’t control, we rob ourselves of enjoying what we have. Additionally, we should be prepared for the obstacles that will certainly come when we try new things, as they’re just there to discourage and even test us, and the more we step out of our comfort zone and try new things, our fear will reduce, and our confidence will increase.