  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 04/01/2006 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 Reed Business Information. - Copyright 2006 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 03/01/2006 *Starred Review* Lilly returns to some wonderful news: her beloved teacher, Mr. Slinger, is getting married. “It will be the biggest day of my life,” he says. “Mine, too,” whispers Lilly, who has always wanted to be a flower girl. Lilly, in cowboy boots and boa, marches around the next spread in many and varied poses--smiling brightly, looking demure, eyebrows raised, always with her hands in front of her, carrying an imaginary small bouquet. Lilly tells her parents that she’s going to be Mr. Slinger’s flower girl, but they inform her that since he hasn’t asked her, that probably won’t happen. Sure enough, some niece named Ginger has been tapped for the role, which makes Lilly both sad and mad. Mr. Slinger tries to smooth the situation by appointing Lilly Ginger’s assistant, a not entirely satisfactory compromise until Lilly finds a way to share the spotlight. As in the previous books about Lilly, Henkes catches the hopes and dreams of children along with their stubborn belief that the world will turn the way they push it. And though Henkes mines no new ground artistically, he provides so many clever, captivating touches in each scene, there’s always something new to look at. - Copyright 2006 Booklist. Loading...
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