Lilly's Big Day
Kindergarten-Grade 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-&#xA6;? 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, CTCopyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.