Silly Billy

Written and illustrated by Anthony Browne

A boy's worry dolls take on his anxieties, but now he worries about them.

4.0 Goodreads · 732 ratings

32 pages· 341 words· Est. 3 min read-aloud· ~280L· AR 2.2 · 0.5 AR pts

$15.99Save 6%

In stock. Also at Amazon.

Bookroo's summary

Billy's mind is a whirlwind of worries, from runaway shoes to giant birds. During a sleepless night at Grandma's, she offers him worry dolls to ease his mind. Placing them under his pillow, Billy finally finds rest. But soon, a new concern arises—who will worry for the worry dolls? With a clever twist, Billy discovers a way to calm his fears and find peace. Dive into this whimsical tale where imagination meets a heartwarming solution.

From the publisher

A funny, sympathetic antidote to worry from a Hans Christian Andersen Medalist Billy worries about everything, from shoes that might march out the window to giant birds that might carry him away. One night on a visit to Grandma’s, Billy is so anxious that he can’t sleep. But Grandma has just the thing for a boy like Billy – tiny, colorful worry dolls, made to do his worrying for him. That night when Billy puts the dolls under his pillow, he sleeps like a log. But soon it dawns on Billy that something is not quite right – now he has all those worry dolls to worry about! Leave it to Anthony Browne, with his surreal illustrations and a final clever twist, to come up with a solution that puts Billy at ease at last.

At a glance