Willodeen

Connor is a boy who lives in Willodeen’s village. He has an optimistic personality and “a smile too large for his face” (40). Connor is a foil for Willodeen; whereas Willodeen is nervous and shy, Connor is outgoing and friendly. This is shown when he makes the screecher creation for Willodeen and shows up at her house unannounced to check on her. Connor grapples with his love for art throughout the book. He enjoys creating and writing, but he fears these things are not practical or something to build a life upon. Willodeen’s confidence in her difference helps Connor understand it’s okay to do what he loves, even if it isn’t what’s expected of him by society.

Quinby is the screecher creation that comes to life. Like all screechers, Quinby has tail spikes and tusks and creates a smell that people find distasteful. Quinby symbolizes life’s complexities. The segments from the screecher’s perspective show the struggles new life faces, especially without others of its kind to show it how to exist. For Willodeen, Quinby symbolizes responsibility and makes it possible for her to grow. Caring for Quinby gives Willodeen a connection to her deceased parents, allowing her to understand how much they loved her and the struggles her parents had taking care of her and her brother. Quinby forces Willodeen to think about someone other than herself, which leads to Willodeen becoming part of a family and community.

Duuzuu is Willodeen’s pet hummingbear. Duuzuu’s wings were damaged in the fire that killed Willodeen’s family, and he hasn’t been able to fly since. As a result, he doesn’t migrate with other hummingbears and, like Willodeen, lives with a group that isn’t his birth family. Duuzuu shows that it’s possible to build a life even if we’re different from others. The other hummingbears exclude Duuzuu because he can’t fly, but Duuzuu doesn’t let that get in the way of his happiness. He makes do with what he has and adjusts his lifestyle to fit living with humans.

Mae and Birdie are the older women who adopted Willodeen after she was orphaned in the fire. Mae and Birdie never appear individually, and as a unit, they represent the changes Willodeen needs to accept to find happiness. Both of the women are eccentric and wise, and they let Willodeen make her own choices, partly because they don’t want to impose on her and partly because they aren’t her parents and so don’t feel comfortable acting as such. At the end of the book, Willodeen accepts Mae and Birdie as family, and the women represent how home can be found in the most unlikely places.

Connor’s father is on the village council. While he appears imposing at first, he is later revealed to be supportive of Connor’s artistic endeavors. He represents how we can’t judge people by appearances. When Willodeen first sees him, he seems stern and unforgiving. Later, she learns he is simply worn down by the problems that Perchance faces. At the end of the book, Connor’s father stands up for Willodeen’s discoveries about nature and ecosystems, showing how people are willing to listen to new ideas when those ideas are presented clearly.