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Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
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Summary
Summary
In this companion to Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, readers will discover a funny, poignant tale about facing life's disappointments and celebrating happy surprises.
Lilly's favorite teacher, Mr. Slinger, is getting married, and Lilly is going to be his flower girl! Well, Lilly, thinks she is going to be his flower girl. It turns out that Mr. Slinger's niece Ginger is the official flower girl. But Lilly rises to the occasion as only Lilly can, turning heartbreak into wedding cake (a delicious three-tiered frosted Swiss cheese, no less), and disappointment into friendship! A #1 New York Times bestseller by Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes.
This award-winning and beautifully illustrated picture book about friendship, perseverance, loyalty, love, weddings, and family is the companion to the bestselling classic Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse.
Author Notes
Kevin Henkes was born in Racine, Wis. in 1960 and graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. One of four children in his family, Henkes grew up with aspirations of being an artist. As a junior in high school, one of Henkes's teachers awakened his interest in writing. Falling in love with both writing and drawing, Henkes realized that he could do both at the same time as a children's book author and illustrator.
At the age of 19, Henkes went to New York City to get his first book, All Alone, published. Since that time, he has written and illustrated dozens of picture books including Chrysanthemum, Protecting Marie, and A Weekend with Wendell. A recurring character in several of Henkes's books is Lily, an outrageous, yet delightful, individualist. Lily finds herself the center of attention in the books Chester's Way, Julius, the Baby of the World, and Lily's Purple Plastic Purse.
A Weekend With Wendell was named Children's Choice Book by the Children's Book Council in 1986. He recieved the Elizabeth Burr Award for Words of Stone in 1993. Owen was named a Caldicott Honor in 1994. The Year of Billy Miller was named a Newbery Honor book in 2014.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
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 (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Starred Review. 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.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved All rights reserved.