shy willow
by Cat Min
Willow is shy. VERY shy.
Her home is in an abandoned mailbox, and she'd rather stay put. Outside kids scream and soccer balls collide, trees look like monsters, and rain is noisy in a scary kind of way. It's much nicer to stay inside, drawing. But then a young boy drops a letter in Willow's mailbox: it's a note to the moon asking for a special favor. Willow knows that if she doesn't brave the world outside, the letter will never be delivered, and the boy will be heartbroken. Should she try? Can she?
Cat Min delivers a breathtakingly illustrated story about shyness, the power of empathy, and what it means to make a friend.
Type: Picture Book
Pages: 48
Format: Hardcover
Publication: February 16, 2021
ISBN: 9781646140350
PRAISE
ONE OF BOOKPAGE’S BEST PICTURE BOOKS OF 2021
An Amazon Best Book of the Month for February 2021
★ “A dreamlike adventure…A warm and wondrous adventure for armchair, or high chair, travelers.” —Booklist (starred)
“Evokes a richly mysterious night; a night in which dreams could come true.”
—The New York Times
“A memorable and moving read. A lovely mix of realistic and fantastical.”
—BookPage
“Luminous...an earnest tale of bravery begetting self-realization.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Velvety soft and textured illustrations. Willow’s journey on an enormous, splendid, glowing pink-and-yellow bird steals the show, even if a gust of wind stalls her plans. Willow, a lovable protagonist, is consistently outlined in scarlet red to set off her white fur from the rest of the action, the vivid color doubling as a reminder of the excitement she feels at undertaking a risky, frightening journey—all in the name of compassion.”
—Horn Book
“The deft and appealing visual storytelling in Shy Willow will ensure that shy and gregarious readers alike understand that Willow’s action-packed journey isn’t easy for her, but with its struggles come rewards. Shyness and courage can coexist, and it’s OK to have your own way of relating to the world. After all, friendships can be forged in a library just as easily as on a playground.”
—BookPage
“A memorable and moving read. A lovely mix of realistic and fantastical.”
—BookPage
“Whimsical and charming.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Narrator Vico Ortiz's angelic voice brings a magical quality to this sweet story about a courageous rabbit. Shy Willow lives in an abandoned mailbox. When a little boy deposits a letter for the moon, Shy Willow decides to deliver it. This precious story provides a delightful and absorbing experience for children as they accompany the shy rabbit on her journey. Ortiz captures Shy Willow's quiet, kind nature, as well as her determination, as she bravely sets out to find the moon. A twinkle of melodies and sound effects highlights Ortiz's spot-on narration, creating a daydreamy atmosphere for Shy Willow's adventure. This story may be an especially encouraging listening experience for shy children.”
—M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
“A visually satisfying sequence of art that perfectly facilitates this tale for repeated read-alouds with mom.”
—The Classroom Bookshelf (An SLJ Blog)
About cat min
Cat Min is an illustrator, animator, and writer. Cat grew up as a shy kid in Hong Kong, where she spent most of her childhood drawing and making comic books out of printer paper and staples with her best friend. She studied animation and film at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, and completed the Illustration & Visual Storytelling Summer Residency Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is also a member of SCBWI. Her (not so) guilty pleasures are: McDonald's french fries, sappy romance comics, mobile escape game apps, visual novels, and all things cheese.
