Picture Book Monday - A review of Whimsy's Heavy Things

Most of us have days when we are weighed down by problems and by life's challenges. At such times we tend to feel worn out, frustrated, and at a loss. The little girl in this picture book is in just such a pickle and she has no idea what to do about it. At first.

Though this is a picture book for children, the ideas it conveys will resonate with anyone who is feeling weighed down and confused. 

Whimsy’s heavy things

Julie Kraulis

Picture Book

For ages 6 and up

Tundra Books, 2013, 978-1-77049-403-9

Whimsy has four heavy things that are “weighing her down,” and she has got to the point where she realizes that she has to do something. She cannot go on like this. Whimsy’s first impulse is to try to hide her heavy things, so she sweeps them under the rug in the hallway. She soon finds out that this solution is not going to work because the heavy things trip her up.

   Whimsy then tries placing her heavy things in a bucket and she hangs the bucket from a tree branch. The heavy things are so heavy that they break the branch they are hanging from and land on her. They are too heavy to be carried away by a flying kite, and they are so heavy they sink in the sea and Whimsy stubs her toe on them when she goes swimming. In desperation, Whimsy tries to pretend that her heavy things are not there, but that does not work either. She feels heavier and sadder than ever.

    Many of us, at some point, are weighed down by problems, fears, or worries. These “heavy things” prevent us from enjoying life, and like Whimsy we often try to find ways to rid ourselves of our burdens. In this unique picture book the author explores the idea that there is a very simple solution to just such a problem, a solution that requires only one thing: creativity.

  With wonderful artwork and a universal message that readers of all ages can appreciate, this is a picture book that readers will enjoy reading again and again.