Lilly's Big Day (Lilly)

Lilly, Henkes’s peerless princess of mouse perfection, is absolutely certain that she is a shoo-in for the role of flower girl when her beloved teacher Mr. Slinger announces his impending nuptials. Lilly throws herself into preparations with her typical enthusiasm. When she discovers that she will not be the star flower girl, but only an apprentice to Mr. Slinger’s niece, Ginger, she valiantly struggles to adjust to her new role. However, when Ginger is frozen by stage fright, Lilly naturally saves the day with élan that surpasses the most seasoned red-carpet celebrities. Henkes manages once again to present Lilly in all of her wonderful, flawed glory, and readers will continue to love her dearly for it. In between giggles, they’ll get a Lilly lesson in handling disappointments with aplomb. As always, Henkes’s illustrations perfectly capture every delightful nuance of Lilly’s persona whether she’s practicing aisle-walking “in something more appropriate” or announcing her intentions to the universe. With Lilly, it’s always a big day. (Picture book. 4-8)

Copyright 2006 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission

When her teacher, Mr. Slinger, announces he's going to marry the school nurse, Lilly -naturally -assumes she will be the flower girl. Henkes's ("Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse") black pen-and-watercolor illustrations, done in confectionary colors, show the mouse star in all her self-absorbed glory, parading across a spread, rehearsing the majestic way in which she will take the aisle. She dismisses her parents' attempt to let her down gently, and readers, too, will have caught on long before Mr. Slinger sets Lilly straight (he's already asked Ginger, his niece, to do the honors). Nonetheless, Lilly, having hinted around endlessly, is so crestfallen about Ginger's role that Mr. Slinger offers to make her the flower girl's "assistant" ("Oh, all right," Lilly deigns to accept, "if you really need me so much"). Ounce for ounce the equal in chutzpah to Falconer's Olivia, the heroine will draw laughs in nearly every scence (in one hilarious vignette, she offers "Flower Girl Advice -$1" from a makeshift stand; the audience consists of her stuffed animals). Children will identify with Lilly's intense disappointment and appreciate the way she sends a bear dressed as Mr. Slinger (with a tie and fake mustache) to the "Uncooperative Chair." There's a witty detail on every page. When Lilly finally meets the usurper, Ginger turns out to be very much in need of an assistant after all, and Lilly does what Lilly does best: she takes charge. Ages 4-up. "(Apr.)" Copyright 2006 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

K-Gr 2 -When her teacher, Mr. Slinger, announces that he is going to marry Ms. Shotwell, the school nurse, the indomitable Lilly takes her role as flower girl at their wedding for granted. Of course, he hasn't asked her -yet -but the young mouse commences practicing her very slow walk, eyebrows raised, hands in front grasping her imaginary bouquet. Her parents give her reasons why her plan might go awry. -Do you understand -&? - they ask. -I understand that I'm going to be a flower girl, - she responds. At school, she writes Mr. Slinger a note, declaring herself -The World's Best and Most Famous Flower Girl. - He finally persuades her to be an assistant to his niece, and Lilly rises to the rescue in a surprise twist that satisfies everybody. Henkes's familiar watercolor cartoons elaborate on the witty text. The desperate looks on Lilly's parents' and Mr. Slinger's faces are priceless. Full-page vignettes depict the little protagonist proudly practicing her flower-girl walk, which is eventually taken up by all the wedding guests at the reception. Adults will especially enjoy the shopping scene in which the sales lady pronounces Lilly -adorable - and her Granny silently quips, -in small doses. - But big doses of this feisty rodent will suit her many fans just fine." -Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT" Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Lilly is one of the great female characters in literature—like Anna Karenina with whiskers or Scarlett O'Hara with paws."—USA Today