Willy and May

by Judy Schachner

This is the story of a favorite aunt and her amazing canary named Willy. When a terrible storm threatens Aunt May's annual holiday visit, she gets a little help from a merry traveler whose sleigh can brave the wintry weather.

Genres: Picture Books, Christmas, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Judith Byron "Judy" Schachner is an American children's writer and illustrator. Her works include the Skippyjon Jones series. Schachner lives in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bob, and a dog and her two Siamese cats.

Reviews

[Kaylin Matejek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willy and May by Judith Byron Schachner tells the story of a special relationship between a young girl and her quirky Aunt May. Because Aunt May lives so far away, the little girl is only able to visit twice a year: once in the summer and once at Christmas. From spontaneous swimming trips in the pond to baking on Saturdays with Aunt May's canary, Willy, the pair always has a good time together. Year after year, the loving niece looked forward to the trip to her aunt's, but one summer her mother became terribly ill. She wasn't able to see Aunt May that summer and it began to look like she wouldn't see her that following Christmas either...but Aunt May and Willy are two determined beings.

This book was such a joy to read and I would encourage everyone to experience this sweet story at least once. Judith Byron Schachner has beautifully depicted a loving relationship between a great-aunt and her niece, and the illustrations were absolutely wonderful! I think older elementary children would be fond of this book and enjoy the playfulness of Willy and May. It would also be a great resource in the classroom to use when discussing special relationships, how to verbally illustrate memorable characters, or even to simply read for entertainment around Christmas.

[Set · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a story of a girl and her relationship with her eccentric and warmhearted great-aunt. The illustrations are wintry and the story is about her visits to her aunt's house.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet story about family ties; a young girl who looks forward to her twice yearly visits with her unconventional Great Aunt.
I love this author's ability to reach the heart strings.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet story about a girl's relationship sorry her eccentric great-aunt and her bird. They visit twice a year, in the summer and Christmas. One year they might not get to visit though!

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only wish is that this book were much longer. The sweet story of Willy and Aunt May is fun, whimsical, and reminds us to cherish time spent with family.

[Stephanie Sun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loooooove children's books! There's one particular quote in this one that I adored: 'Singing after supper is good for one's digestion.' I agree with this for sure! Willy's a cute character-even though he's 'just' a bird, he has such personality and attitude! ^^ Also, one of the pictures, when May is in the doorway and snow is swirling around her colorful figure, was just a plain be-a-utiful picture! Wonderful drawings! :D

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful tale about an extended family relationship, between a little girl and her Great-Aunt. The story is so heartwarming and funny and yet, sad in places too. It tugs at the heartstrings and has the kind of ending that makes this book perfect to read aloud, especially at Christmastime.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet story. I liked the relationship between the aunt and the niece. The illustrations were lovely, I caught myself staring at them sometimes longer then the text. I would probably recommend.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2009...

[Rachel Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

title: Willy and May (picture)
author: Judith Byron Schachner
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books
Date of publication: 1995
Summary: A young girl has a special relationship with her Aunt May. This books tells of their adventures together and how much love they have for each other. It could be used in a classroom of any grade to teach about loving your family.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute, sweet story about an elderly relative and her bird--and the joy between generations. I like the little "mystery" helper at the end and children will probably enjoy it, too. Perhaps not the most Christmas-y of titles as part of the story takes place during the summer, but it is definitely full of love and warmth which is very Christmas-y, indeed ;-)

[Lesley Looper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this sweet story about an aunt and a niece, and the illustrations were colorful and detailed. Cute Christmas story!