A Silly Willy Christmas

A Silly Willy Christmas is centred around an extended family’s Christmas gathering at the Saskatchewan home of what is presumably the clan’s matriarch and patriarch. The story begins with the arrival of granddaughter Peanut, her parents and Peanut’s baby sister, Muffin, on Christmas Eve. The first indication that the house is overcrowded is that Peanut has no place to put her winter boots [see Excerpt], and the silliness begins with Peanut’s having to store her winter footwear in the dog’s house. Upon entering the living room, Peanut is confronted by 13 aunts, uncles and cousins who are occupying all of the available seating, a situation leading to Gramma’s suggestion, “I guess you and our little Muffin are going to have to sit under the Christmas tree with all the presents!” Peanut’s visit to the kitchen sees her amazed by the variety and quantities of food, with Gramma explaining, “I guess we have enough food to feed all of Saskatchewan! We have turkeys, ham, potatoes, perogies, a hundred salads, and a thousand desserts.” Post-supper, Peanut raises the question of where will she, her sibling and parents sleep. With at least 19 people in the house, beds and couches are in demand, with Gramma’s solution being: “Well, Peanut, I guess you and our little Muffin are going to have to sleep in the bathtub with your blankies, your piggies, your dollies, and your Mom and Dad.” On Christmas morning, Peanut is awake before her fellow tub sleepers, and she heads downstairs where she finds Gramma sitting in front of a fireplace festooned with what Peanut describes as “a million zillion stockings”. Peanut’s description leads to Gramma’s telling her a tale about how, in the night, Papa had to rescue Santa who was stuck halfway down the chimney because of all the stockings in his bag. And so the silly willy Christmas ends.

Wendi Nordell’s detailed illustrations bring life to what is essentially a pretty flat story. Especially effective is the artwork that reveals how crowded Gramma and Papa’s house has become because of their hosting Christmas. Young readers will especially delight in Nordell’s rendering of the living room where every flat surface, including a coffee table and the floor, has become a “bed”. Upon repeated readings, children might realize that the grandparents have given up their own bed, choosing instead to share a sofa, Of course, the most engaging illustrations are the two of the very full bathtub bed. (I wonder how many children will want to try sleeping in the family tub after hearing/reading this book?)

If A Silly Willy Christmas was a film, Nordell would get very high marks for prop continuity but a slightly lower grade for costume continuity. In the kitchen scene, Gramma is initially wearing a plaid shirt and blue/grey slacks, but a turn of the page finds her in a dark blue sweater and pink slacks. Similarly, Peanut’s flower blouse and pink skirt have become a red dress. Undoubtedly, Nordell was trying to signal a passage of time and that people had “dressed” for supper, but the opening text on the “change of costume” page is Gramma’s response to Peanut’s closing statement on the previous page. So perhaps, it is the book’s designer who should be faulted, not the illustrator. Another costume change by Gramma and Peanut clearly indicates that it is time for bed.

Though a reviewer has to review the book in front of her/him, this reviewer believes that Redman missed a chance to amp up the silly willyness of this family event. Though the text details all of the food that had been prepared and Nordell clearly illustrates the various food items, Redman essentially avoids the actual Christmas dinner event, itself, with only Nordell’s illustration of Peanut’s eating a piece of cake, a dessert item, suggesting that the meal has concluded. Christmas meals have their own family rituals, including seating which often involves a “kids table”.

Redman and Nordell previously collaborated on How’s Peanut? that describes how babies develop in the womb. A note about the author at the end of A Silly Willy Christmas explains that Peanut and Muffin are the nicknames that Redman has given her granddaughters.

Obviously, A Silly Willy Christmas is very much a seasonal book and could be considered by school and public libraries needing additional items in this area of their collection.