Adventures of
Willie the Westie
The Book
Adventures of Willie the Westie
Before owning Willie, I had another West Highland Terrier. His name was Howie. Jokingly, I said Howie’s real name was Howard, but he didn’t like that name, only Howie. Howie was before granddaughters. Every day, Howie and I would go for three-mile walks. We would stop and talk to neighbors and strangers alike. What kind of dog is that? What country is he from? Does he get along with other animals? Howie lived to be fourteen. I fondly remember those walks.
Meet the author
Phil Ferretti
Phil Ferretti is a grandfather with four granddaughters. He is a Vietnam War veteran. After the war, he went back to college and obtained a teaching degree. He taught at a high school and also coached high school wrestling. Later, he worked in the private industry as a Human Resources Manager for twenty years. His favorite pastime is riding Harley Davidson motorcycles. Phil is now retired.
Book Reviews
In this delightful illustrated children’s book, Adventures of Willie the Westie, by author
Phil Ferretti, readers are treated to a variety of meetings of new animals by this cute
West Highland Terrier, commonly called a “Westie,“ named Willie.
Each encounter brings out interesting details to readers. For example, when Willie first
sees a turtle, he doesn’t know which end the turtle’s head is located because it is tucked
into its shell. The meeting with a wild turkey has an element of danger, so Willie is kept
in the car as the turkey nips at the car’s tires. Those turkeys are always a bit
aggressive; the author points out. When Willie sees an armadillo, he thinks it is a cat in
his backyard digging – that is until he gets a closer look. And Willie gets to play with
other dogs at Aunt Judy’s house, and sees Phillip John’s, his owner’s, family.
Moving from the cold winters in Michigan to Texas brings new and different animals into
Willie’s life – so much so that this book reads almost like a visit to a zoo! The
illustrations are interleaved with the short text, giving a good way for the youngest of
children to follow along with the story and see for themselves the diversity in the
animals both in appearances and behavior. Willie is indeed loved by his owner and kind
to all animals, which is a theme of this story – to love and be loved.
This story is short and sweet, being an excellent reach for a bedtime read. The author
ends his book with a bit of a bio about himself, and I was surprised by reading about his
love for Harley Davidson motorcycles. After all, you can’t bring a dog on a bike, Willie
will have to stay home, but you can certainly pack a book in the saddlebag – that goes
for home library bookshelves as well.
Beth Adams
Hollywood Book Reviews