Willa and Woof is a brilliant new series for junior readers from Australian children’s literature royalty, Jacqueline Harvey. It’s junior fiction for ages around 6 to 8, so aimed at a slightly younger audience than the Clementine Rose series I would estimate, and it is darling.
Willa is a young, daring and independent kid who lives across the street from her best same-age friend (Tae), and next door to her best old-age friend (Frank). She also has a best four-legged friend (Woof), who is her faithful all-round helper of everything Willa needs.
In Mimi is Missing (book 1 in the series), Willa discovers Frank’s beloved bird Mimi is missing, and she’s determined to find her. With help from Woof and Tae, Willa sets out on an adventure to find Mimi and return her to Frank.
With twists and turns throughout, this mystery ended in a way I did not see coming (which was delightful). It’s full of adventure, humour and sweetness, and it kept me guessing until the end.
Illustrated by A.Yi, glorious black and white pictures of Willa and her pals are peppered throughout the pages. The chapters end on fabulous cliff-hangers and the chapter headings are smile-inducing fun. Along with large and easy-to-read text, this is a book young readers will gobble up and then ask for seconds.
And seconds they can devour, because book two in the series (Birthday Business) is out in September.
If your junior reader is looking for a new series to jump into, and they love adventure, mystery and doggy pals, I highly recommend Willa and Woof by Jacqueline Harvey.
And once they are ready to move to the next level, there’ll be so much Jacqueline Harvey goodness waiting for them with the Clementine Rose series, Alice Miranda series and Kenzy and Max series, too.
Title: Willa and Woof: Mimi is Missing
Author: Jacqueline Harvey
Illustrator: A.Yi
Publisher: Puffin, $12.99
Publication Date: 5 July 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761043314
For ages: 6 - 8
Type: Junior Fiction
