Title: Willie and Bo at the Party
Subtitle: A Funny Laundry Day
Author: Margaret Cardenas
Illustrator: Kenny Estrella
Publisher: Olympus Story House
ISBN: 978-1-968069-42-1
Pages: 28
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Story
Reviewer: Beth Adams
Hollywood Book Reviews
This book has two stories within, one at a backyard birthday party, and the other during laundry day, each starring Willie a baby goat and Bo a frisky German Shepherd dog. Author Margaret Cardenas has created an incredibly simple yet fascinating storyboard with the help of illustrations by artist Kenny Estrella who has added a unique style of displaying people’s caricatures.
The outdoor event of the birthday party is shown with groups of children, men, and women each attending to their tasks. The children are playing on the grass as Bo joins in trying to catch a ball being tossed over his head. The men are barbequing hamburgers and hot dogs while the ladies are setting the tables and preparing more food and cakes. As the crowd gathers to watch the father open presents, Bo and Willie jump up on the unattended tables and help themselves to the leftovers on the plates. A goat does what a goat does – eat, and a dog is always up for a mischievous treat.
The next story is when the mother is doing sheets and towels in the laundry, then hangs them outside to dry. The kids see Bo chasing a ghost in the yard and they all go outside to see what is happening. It seems Willie ran under a sheet, and it got caught on his horns and ran away trying to free himself as Bo chased him. Well, laughter prevailed and the short story came to a happy ending.
The stories are enhanced by the illustrations, and the particular style in this book is very creative and I must say unique to the genre of children’s illustrations. It seems as if a combination of computer enhancements along with cut-and-paste placements creates very interesting images. As children’s mind’s eye tends to seek out anomalies in the details of pictures, I found this technique ideally suited to bring depth into the impressions formed with the two stories. And, yes, Bo and Willie are perfect pets to bring humor into the theme.
Willie and Bo at the Party – A Funny Laundry Day is an enjoyable read to any of the youngest children in a family, and fun to have kids open and page on their own. It would make a good present for the lowest single-digit birthday party gifts or baby shower. Who knows, maybe more adventures of Willie and Bo will be forthcoming in future episodes. Full of laughter, playful moments, and colorful imagination, this book will delight young readers and remind them that excitement can be found in the most unexpected places.