Denise Brennan-Nelson

There are some great children’s books with a GLBTQ component out there, and ‘Willow and the Wedding’ is definitely one of them. Aimed at ages 5-8 and colorfully illustrated, it is the story of a little girl on a mission to make her uncle’s wedding with his boyfriend absolutely perfect.

A great deal of thought has gone into this book. There is Willow’s perception of the world which is at times super simple – perfectly in line with what a child her age would want, such as donuts for show more dessert, never mind any adult traditions. Her uncle doesn’t want to dance? So she sets out to find out why and – with single-minded determination – begins to fix the problem.

The fact that her uncle is getting married to a man does not even appear on her radar as unusual or strange, and that sends a very subtle yet powerful message about acceptance and inclusivity to anyone – child or adult – who reads this book. Willow worries about her uncle’s loss of enjoying an activity – dancing – that she loves and, if her mother is to be believes, her uncle loved as well when he was younger. There is nothing like a mystery like that to get a curious kid going – and Willow follows her goal with a vengeance.

I’d recommend this picture book for children of any age, the adults who teach and raise them, and anyone looking for a progressive view of the world that shows the way things should be.


NOTE: This book was provided by Sleeping Bear Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

Miss Hawthorn's art class is very structured and leaves little room for mess, coloring outside the lines, or any kind of imagination. But one student, Willow, just can't keep her enthusiasm for artistic creativity bottled up and keeps following her own direction instead. When Willow leaves an art book behind as a holiday present for Miss Hawthorn, it awakens something in her teacher ...

Willow is a sweet book about expressing one self's and thinking outside the box. Miss Hawthorn is perhaps show more just a bit too much of a caricature to me -- she is so very rigid and angry in the beginning of the book and, as an adult, it was difficult for me to imagine that an art teacher had never seen a book about art before. I think it would have fit better if the gift (and the thoughtfulness of it) re-awakened a more child-like spirit in Miss Hawthorn, reminding her of past experiences and why she loved art in the first place. But perhaps that's just me.

While it's not overly emphasized, I think the message about the kindness of Willow despite her teacher not responding in measure is an interesting one for opening up conversations with children about when it is (or is not) appropriate to "turn the other cheek." Is a person unkind or rude simply because they are looked over or treated poorly themselves? When is "enough is enough" if that person repeatedly rejects attempts to befriend them? Of course, the bigger message here that is greatly emphasized is about being creativity and allowing art to serve as a medium to express oneself -- not as a medium to simply copy another's work. This is an important lesson as well, especially for those kids who fall into the trap of thinking too rigidly. However, this book could easily slip into dangerous territory by promoting the idea that listening to a teacher's directions is simply unnecessary at all times, making me think again that perhaps a less caricaturish approach would have served this book better.

The soft illustrations in the book are perfectly fine and make the book a deeply colorful one. For the most part, these illustrations simply show exactly what the text describes, but the full-page illustrations do contain some more interesting details here and there. I did not care for the rather one-dimensional look of the characters myself, but they are executed well and, for better or for worse, are fitting with the one-dimensional nature of the characters described in the text.

Overall, I thought this was a good enough read to share with young children, but not necessarily an excellent one. That being said, however, there might be specific contexts in which this book would serve a purpose or function particularly well. show less

I enjoyed this book. It is about a little girl, Willow, who moves to a new house next to a cranky older man, Mr. Larch, who lives alone and doesn't even allow sledding on his hill. Willow enjoys life and her and her mother work together to grow fruits and vegetables in their garden, with the help of donations from the neighbors. Willow sent out a thank you note and then gave the fruits and vegetables to all of the neighbors, even Mr. Larch. Willow then sent out a letter asking the neighbors show more for winter wear donations for the needy and then later sent another telling them about the success of the charity drive. When winter was well underway, Willow begins to worry that there will not be any snow and she will be unable to sled. She sent another letter to the neighbors asking for help with this. She received a letter in return, explaining that if she did a "snow dance" snow would appear. Willow invited her friends to do the snow dance and when she looked out the next morning, Mr. Larch was outside and the sign forbidding sledding had been removed from his yard. You will have to read the story to find out if it snowed or not! This is a charming story about a little girl who embraces life and tries to help everyone. It seems she even helped a lonely old man who is starting to become a part of their neighborhood. There are ample illustrations, and they add a lot to the story, especially the ones of the letters Willow writes to her neighbors. I think this book would engage children because they can see themselves in the protagonist. She is a kind little girl who helps her mom and her neighbors and longs to play in the snow. show less

I'm afraid this book is going to get missed, and I so wish that it wouldn't. Denise Brennan-Nelson is a Michigan children's author who needs attention! Brennan-Nelson posses a unique skill: the ability to teach adults as well as children with the words she writes and stories she tells. Willow is no exception.

There art books like Patrick McDonnell's Art, Antoinette Portis' Not a Stick and The Dot by Peter Reynold's that help nurture a child's creativity, but there are few that awaken lost show more creativity in adults. Willow is a free spirit with a mind of her own and lots of creativity to spare. Unfortunately her art teacher is a curmudgeon who attemps to stifle Willows flare. Willow, oddly enough, does not bend, and Miss Hawthorn's exterior melts enough to allow a spark of life to glow.

Excellent for K-3rd grade. Older children, or those reading on their own, might be interested in Clementine by Sara Pennypacker or Lois Lowry's Gooney Bird Greene. show less