What Was Willy Nickel’s Secret?The picture storybook Willy Nickel explores friendship and trust and helps grown-ups explain to kids the different denominations of coins.

A long time ago, in olden times before Nintendo and YouTube, two young boys Willy and Vinny, were best friends living in downtown Chicago. Willy Nickel worked at a shoeshine stand. Vinny hung out with his friend there sometimes after school.

A Game Played With Nickels Dimes & PenniesWilly boasted a loyal following of grown-ups who enjoyed playing a game of coins with Willy after buffing their shoes shiny and bright. To play, the customer held out a handful of coins in the palm of his hand, showed it to Willy, and offered him his tip. Willy could pick any one of the coins in the man’s hand for his tip. But one and only one.

To Vinny’s exasperation, each and every time the grown-ups played the game, Willy seemed to stand there thinking about it for a minute or two as if deep in thought. Like he could not make up his mind. Finally, he would choose a nickel. Always just a measly nickel. Willy could have taken a dime or even a quarter, but he always took a nickel.

That’s where he got his nickname, Willy Nickel.

The men laughed and giggled at Willy’s decision.

Hilarious, said one guy, chuckling.

Strange, said another, shaking his head in disbelief.

The customers would play the game over and over, again and again. Each time Willy always chooses a nickel for his prize. When it got to be time for supper, one by one, the men, now out of loose change, said their goodbyes and went home.

It bothered Vinny considerably that in the grown-up’s silly little game, Willy always took the coin of little value. Over and over and over again. Then one day, Willy shared the secret behind his choices.

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