I personally did not like this book. It was very random with its short stories and stanza formatting. The story did not connect well with the title, and in my opinion, it can be a little misleading considering pyramids were mentioned once at the very end of the book. It had many characters, none of which had proper character development. The one thing I liked is how the pages were black, symbolizing the two siblings lying in the dark - that was cool. ( )

A young boy asks his sister Lulu to tell him stories in this quirky bedtime book from author/illustrator Maira Kalman. Lulu obliges, sharing a number of seemingly random story snippets, all humorous, some related. The wacky behavior of relatives at parties (attendees without pants!), the magical things that various people see (flying fish!), the odd behavior of animals (ordering dinner at restaurants!) - all are covered here. There's even a story snippet about a dog-poet named Max, who longs to run off to Paris...

Originally published in 1988, and then reprinted this past year (2017) by the New York Review Children's Collection, Hey Willy, See the Pyramids is an engaging, oddball comedy of a picture-book. It gives the impression, with its format of story snippets, of dipping into a narrative pool - one is never completely submerged in any given story, but is kept entertained by all. I appreciated the brief glimpse of Max the dog-poet, who would appear two years later in his own book, Max Makes a Million, and its various sequels. I also enjoyed the artwork, with its vivid color palette, and its many stylized figures. The completely black pages, on which the boy asks his sister questions, or requests more stories, make an interesting visual interlude between various sections of the book. Recommended to Maira Kalman fans, and to anyone looking for picture-books featuring brothers and sisters, and/or the storytelling process. ( )

Maira Kalman is one of my all-time-favorite artists, so I am probably biased about how wonderful this book is. Lulu and her brother are going to bed; her brother asks Lulu to tell him a million stories. Her stories are short, lightly-sketched entrances into weird, child-like imaginative worlds, full of the details kids find important. The stories are just right - sleepy, nonsensical, non-linear. If you are a Kalman fan, you'll find an early introduction to Max, the poet dog who loves Paris, here! He looks quite different from later books. My favorite story is the last one: "A boy had a dream. He had gone on a trip to a faraway place. It was hot and sandy. The evening was pink and far-off music was in the air. His uncle turned to him and with a sweep of his arm, said, "Hey Willy, see the pyramids."

The illustrations are absolutely marvelous, picking out small scenes from the little stories, complimenting the dream-like story structures with wildly out of context deep colors, out-of-proportion, angular bodies, and whacked perspective. It really is a masterpiece, in my opinion!

Okay, but, that all said, from the perspective of someone using this book in a library setting, it's not going to fit in well for storytimes. There's no real storyline and the illustrations are really too detaily to be appreciated from a distance. I think kids will enjoy the book if they get it out and read it or have it read to them as a bedtime story. I think the stories probably make the most sense when you are the sleepiest. Lovely lovely lovely! ( )

A simple story relating the sleepy interaction of a brother and sister. Waking from sleep, the brother asks his sister to tell some stories. Lulu recites 5 charming stories that are complimented with Kalman's fantastic artwork. Each time you read the book you and your child will notice some detail in the pictures you had previously missed. The stories come from the heart of the relationship of siblings and clearly paint a view of the world from that perspective. A wonderfully fresh bedtime book. ( )