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Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge

mem fox julie vivas

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A small boy tries to discover the meaning of "memory" so he can restore that of an elderly friend

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1,1984
Literary awards
childrens book council of australia award, 

This edition

Format
32 pages, Hardcover
Published
November 1, 1985 by Kane Miller Book Pub
ISBN
9780916291044
ASIN
0916291049
Language
English

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About the author

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mem fox

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Merrion Frances Fox is an Australian writer of children's books and an educationalist specialising in literacy. Fox has been semi-retired since 1996, but she still gives seminars and lives in Adelaide, South Australia.

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Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
26(26%)
4 stars
35(35%)
3 stars
39(39%)
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100 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Kainser2045
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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A lovely story about the friendship between a little boy and the people in the old folk's home next door. When one of his friends loses her memory, Wilfred tries to help. Gorgeous illustrations and a heart-warming tale. You could do quite a lot with this in class - exploring what makes a memory, what would children put in a memory box... could lead into writing poetry (I'm thinking Kit Wright's Magic Box model). I imagine you could have a fair bit of book chat with this one. Lovely.
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Queen2408
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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The book was a very cute and sweet story. Memories are what we make them. Memories are all around us waiting: to be remembered. Memories are created by the emotions and feelings we have going on at the time inside of us. Not all memories are good: some of them can be bad. Losing your memories isn't fun either. What Wilfred did was sweet and the innocence of a child who longs to help.
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AleksaManja
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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A children's book classic! The illustrations and words work together in perfect harmony to mirror the feelings and emotions this story evokes. The scale is perfect. We are clearly seeing the grown-ups as viewed from Wilfred Gordon's perspective. Mem Fox and Julie Vivas have collaborated to create a work of art.
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GuardianKruizer
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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I adore this. Fun to read aloud, and makes me tear up every time. It's poignant in a kinda sad way, but also full of joy and hope. Young Wilfrid and his neighbors are all inspirational. The art is vibrant and full of movement, very appealing and a good fit for the text. Wonderful theme, successfully presented.

(I've already read this twice, but want to again. Also I want to read, and reread, more by Fox.)
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Elise_Grimwald
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox, a 3rd grade reading level book, would be a great read in any classroom starting in Kindergarten. This book is about a boy who lives next to a retirement home and befriends the people living there. One day he asked his parents what a memory was because they were saying that Miss Nancy, the resident he liked most, had lost her memory. He was not satisfied with the answer he received from them so he resorted to asking his friends at the retirement home. After all of the feedback he received, he tried to put together a memory for Miss Nancy so that it would not be lost anymore. He gave her memories, and they weren’t lost anymore. I think this book would be an excellent way to bring about discussions of signposts such as again and again, tough questions, words of the wiser, and memory moments. This book is also just a nice book to read to get the students talking about how Wilfred had characteristics of compassion and kindness and how thoughtfulness made all the difference to Miss Nancy.
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Xinil
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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First sentence: There was once a small boy called Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge and what's more he wasn't very old either. His house was next door to an old people's home and he knew all the people who lived there.


Premise/plot: Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge has many friends; but his most special friend has four names just like him: Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper. When he hears that she is losing her memory--or has "lost" her memory, Wilfrid sets out in search of it. But first, he has to know exactly what a memory is. So, being young and curious, he asks. Equipped with descriptions of exactly what memory is, he sets out on a quest. Will the items he collects be just what Miss Nancy needs?


My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. I loved the descriptions of memories:

"Something warm, my child, something warm."
"Something from long ago, me lad, something from long ago."
"Something that makes you cry, my boy, something that makes you cry."
"Something that makes you laugh, my darling, something that makes you laugh."
"Something as precious as gold, young man, something as precious as gold."

I love the celebration of friendship as well. This picture book is just a gem.
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changeisevident
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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A nice story in which different people tell a young boy about their perceptions of memories, and he uses this to help an elderly friend get her memory back.
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Natsume-Fukizawa
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge is a young boy who lives next to a nursing home. While he is friends will all of the people that live there, Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper is his favorite because she also has four names. Wilfred learns that Miss Nancy is losing her memory. After having to find out what memory is from his parents and the other people at the nursing home, Wilfred is determined to give Miss Nancy her memories back. He collects a box full of items that everyone had had used to describe a memory and brings it to Miss Nancy. Suddenly, the items in the box sparked her memory and she began to tell stories relating to each object.

This is such a sweet book that shows the friendships between young Wilfred and the old people living in the nursing home. It also provides an opportunity to teach kids about memory loss and dementia or Alzheimer’s. The illustrations are so unique and colorful, yet take up such little space on the page. This emphasizes the characters in the book and how Wilfred describes them. I would recommend this book to readers of all ages as it shows acts of kindness and how it can make a difference in someone’s life. For a younger audience, in addition to memory loss, it can teach them what memory is and spark ideas of kindness towards others.
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