Starred Review ALA Booklist (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 1996)

Starred Review Oh, Lilly. You sure are lookin' good--and don't you know it. Lilly, the delightful mouse-girl featured in Julius, the Baby of the World (1990), has started school, and she loves everything about it, from the squeaky chalk to the fish sticks in the lunchroom on Friday. Most of all, she loves her teacher, Mr. Slinger, who wears hip clothes and greets Lilly's artistic achievements with an impressed, Wow! So it's only natural that when Lilly gets flashy sunglasses and a brand new purple purse, she can't wait to show them off to her classmates and teacher. Mr. Slinger has other ideas; he would like Lilly to wait until sharing time. Alas, that isn't possible, and soon Lilly's new accoutrements are sitting in Mr. Slinger's desk drawer--and Lilly is furious with her teacher. As usual, Henkes gets it all just right: Lilly's pure delight in school, her adoration of Mr. Slinger, and her fury at his betrayal. What child won't identify with Lilly's urge to get back at Mr. Slinger with a nasty picture and mean words--and with her longing to make it right again when he sends her home with a treat and a note that says tomorrow will be a better day? All the bustling, inventive artwork is a pleasure to look at, but a particular joy is Henkes' ability to define Lilly and her mood with just a few deft pen strokes. A simple curved mouth line shows a range of emotions--anger, disappointment, hurt. The whole book, art and text, is lovingly layered to express the mixed emotions that all of us experience. That Henkes is able to bring this perplexity--and its sometimes sweet solutions--to a child's level is his gift. (Reviewed Aug. 1996)

Starred Review for Publishers Weekly

Lilly the mouse idolizes her teacher Mr. Slinger, but when she comes to school flaunting three jingly quarters, movie-star glasses and a purple plastic purse """"that played a jaunty tune when it was opened,"""" she interrupts Mr. Slinger's lessons on """"Types of Cheese"""" and words that rhyme with """"mice."""" After one too many disruptions, he confiscates the purse until the day's end. Lilly, humiliated, takes revenge by slipping a mean drawing into Mr. Slinger's book bag--only to open her purse and find a conciliatory note from her hero. Caldecott honoree Henkes (Owen) understands Lilly's enthusiasm for her prize possessions, but astutely shows that Lilly goes too far when she acts up in class (""""She's in trouble,"""" whispers a classmate in a voice-bubble aside). The perfectionistic watercolor-and-ink illustrations, in vignettes and panels, are as sharp as the narration. Henkes communicates Lilly's emotions through her eyes, so that when she goes from """"sad"""" to """"furious,"""" her eyebrows shift from U-shaped dips to hard slants; he also enlivens his scenes with tiny details, like Mr. Slinger's copy of Stuart Little. The author/artist offers useful, timeless advice for apologizing to a friend and resolving a conflict. A sympathetic and wise treatment. Ages 4-up. (Aug.)

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 1996)

Enchanted with school, Lilly wants to be a teacher until one fateful Monday when she gets in trouble. She plots her revenge until her teacher's final gesture, a thoughtful note and a packet of tasty snacks, makes her feel miserably small. With help, Lilly puts her world to rights in a sensitively crafted, dazzlingly logical conclusion. A skilled caricaturist, Henkes conveys variations in mood with economy and charm.

Kirkus Reviews

Lilly (Julius, The Baby of the World, 1991, etc.) is back, and in school. She loves everything about it, especially her wonderful teacher, Mr. Slinger. One morning Lilly is happier than ever because her grandmother has given her movie star sunglasses, three shiny quarters, and a purple plastic purse that plays a tune when it's opened. She's dying to show her new things to her friends. But when she talks out of turn and distracts the class, Mr. Slinger confiscates her treasures for the day. Suddenly he becomes BIG FAT MEAN MR. STEALING TEACHER!'' in Lilly's eyes, and she leaves him a note telling him so. Then she finds Mr. Slinger's own note to her, along with some snacks:Today was a difficult day./Tomorrow will be better.'' Helped by her parents, a remorseful Lilly manages a heartwarming reconciliation with her teacher. Henkes once again demonstrates his direct line to the roller- coaster emotions of small children. With a slightly more complicated plot than those of Lilly's previous adventures, this one employs understated humor throughout. The illustrations do an exceptional job of amplifying the text: Lilly dances with excitement, flashes with anger, wanes in remorse, and leaps right off the page with joy. (Picture book. 5+)"

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2--Lilly loves everything about school--even the squeaky chalk and the cafeteria food. But most of all, she loves her teacher, Mr. Slinger, who is a sharp dresser and greets his students with an uncharacteristic "Howdy." The little mouse will do anything for him--until he refuses to allow her to interrupt lessons to show the class her new movie-star sunglasses, three shiny quarters, and purple plastic purse. Seething with anger, she writes a mean story about him and places it in his book bag at the end of the day. But when she looks in her purse, she discovers that he has written her a kind note and even left her a bag of treats. Filled with remorse, Lilly sets out to make amends. Rich vocabulary and just the right amount of repetition fuse perfectly with the watercolor and black-pen illustrations. With a few deft strokes, Henkes changes Lilly's facial expressions and body language to reveal a full range of emotions. When she realizes how unfair she has been, Lilly shrinks smaller and smaller. When all ends well, she leaps for joy in her familiar red boots right out of the picture's frame. Clever dialogue and other funny details will keep readers looking and laughing. As the cover and end papers attest, Lilly emerges once again a star.--Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community-Technical College, CT