Weirdo and Willy (Paperback or Softback)

Willy is taunted by his classmates for being weird—for the way he dresses, what he eats, and the things he likes to do. One day, a “Weirdo” actually shows up in response to their name-calling. The creature wants to play! Thus begins a tale of unlikely friendship: Weirdo and Willy find the companionship they’ve been missing in the most unlikely of people… er, creatures.

Weirdo and Willy is a story about accepting differences and not prejudging people. It’s about co-operation and selflessness.

Through playful imagination, Weirdo and Willy takes on the psychologically traumatic and scarring experiences of name-calling, bullying, victimhood, and being a social outcast. Weirdo and Willy turns the bully-victim relationship on its head by transforming the usual belittling names that kids call each other into delightful awe-inspiring creatures that befriend the children. By the end of the story, what began as a negative name used to exclude and ridicule a child becomes a heroic, likeable name--a name a child would wear with pride. Weirdo and Willy also explores how to make friends and pull oneself out of social isolation or an outcast state.

Taunters beware! You never know what might actually show up!

Marcy is the mother of four humans and two pups, but she's also tossed pizzas for a pizzeria, acted and sang in a musical, advocated for families with special needs, made appearances in a few movies, and mimed with balloon animals at the Halifax Busker Festival. Marcy is also a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and Certified Trauma & Resilience Practitioner, international speaker, Story Coach, and the best-selling author of books for adults and for children. She does her best writing on retreats with a nearby hot tub, in any castle, and within view of the sea. Marcy loves the smiles and giggles of kids who see themselves in her pages and the tearful nods of adults who realize they're not alone by her words. You can watch and share her TEDx Talks: "How Story Empowers Kids to Shape our World" & "You Are More Than Your Traumatic Experiences."