What’s in a name? Tons! I’m one of those writers (and readers) who believes that a great deal of a character’s character is revealed by his or her name. And one of my favorite names in children’s fiction lately has been Willoughby/Willowby.

Most recently, Lois Lowry has published the delightfully daffy middle-grade novel, The Willoughbys. It’s a fantastic read-aloud about a family of, for all intents and purposes, orphaned children named Willoughby. That there’s also a character named Baby Ruth just adds to the fun. Perhaps the best part of Lowry’s tale is how she plays on the reader’s expectations of what “should” happen in a story, particularly in an “old-fashioned” kind of story, as this one is.

Lowry’s book reminded me of another great old-fashioned read-aloud gem, for much younger children. Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry was originally published in 1963. After languishing in out-of-print-land for years, it was revived in part due to a concerted effort by bookseller fans. Why did they work so hard to see this book resurrected? In part, it’s because this book has a rhyming text that actually works. It reads beautifully, with a fast or nearly frantic pace, and the pen and ink illustrations add immeasurably to the fun.

Any questions or comments? Just send me an email.