Wips knows what Wips wants

Illustrations for a children's book

By Illustrator Henk Willems

August 18^th, 2024

A children’s book by Henk Willems & Gert Mahieu.

Wips, the little greyhound, is home alone and bored. He wants to play outside, with his ball and, above all, with friends. Since a whippet is also a bit of a smarty-pants, Wips goes looking for new friends. On his journey, he meets lots of special people: a magician, a spaceman, a toreador, ... Will they be his playmates? Or will they not? Because Wips knows what Wips wants. Where will he find it?

Wips could barely follow. So enthusiastically did the man climb from one boulder to the next. Strong as a bear, nimble as a mountain goat. The higher they climbed, the more beautiful the view became. Wips saw fields and forests like a green patchwork below him. And there lay the village where his master lived. Wonderful he thought. "You see," said the mountaineer, "if you dare to go a bit further or climb a bit higher, the things you have known for so long suddenly look completely different."

Wips nodded so enthusiastically that he dropped his little ball. That bounced from one rock to another, all the way to the valley. In a small voice, Wips said: "Sure, sir, but sometimes you also have to go back home to find what you love again." He made himself even thinner than he already was, wriggled out of the rope and hopped back down, chasing his beloved little ball.

Henk Willems and Gert Mahieu formed a creative team at Duval Guillaume between 2005 and 2017. Now, together they are creating a children's book about the little greyhound 'Wips'.

'Wips knows what Wips wants' is a little book about distant encounters and close friends. Whatever unusual characters you may encounter on your path, your best friends are often just around the corner.