Munro Leaf

Wee Gillis can not decide whether he wants to be a Highlander and stalk stags, like his father, or a Lowlander like his mother, and raise long-haired cows.

Wee Gillis

Sarah Sammis

Wee Gillis caught my eye at my local library. It was short, colorful and a Caldecott Honor book (1939). As it's only 80 pages and mostly a picture book, I snatched it up and read it that night.

Wee Gillis is a boy stuck in the middle of two different Scottish cultures. One parent is from the Lowlands where his family herds cattle. The other parent is from the Highlands where they stalk stags. When he is orphaned, he has to pick a family and a lifestyle.

Gillis learns how to herd cattle and how to hold his breath and be quiet in the highlands to not scare the wildlife. It takes years of living with both sides of the family before he finds his own. I like that Gillis was able to learn from both families and then make his own life the way he saw fit.

But the best part of the book are the black and white illustrations.

Wee Gillis

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