Lilly's Big Day

Everyone's favorite teacher, Mr. Slinger, is about to be married. Mr. Slinger has plans for the big day; student Lilly (who is a mouse) has plans, too. The funny thing is that the plans don't match! During the next few days, Lilly uses every classroom resource to hint to Mr. Slinger that she would be a spectacular flower girl. Laura Hamilton captures the warmth, humor, and compassion that Henkes infuses into his "mouse" books. She is light and breezy when Lilly's mood is glorious and pouty when Lilly feels that nothing is right. Hamilton's deliberate pacing allows listeners to appreciate the story's events and engaging illustrations. Background music adds to the recording. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

Starred review from February 20, 2006
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.