The artwork in the book is mostly not the same as the artwork on the cover - it's Lily's artwork, and it's done in an appropriate style for a young child. This is fine, the book is definitely better that way, but be aware before you purchase.

Lily is, as near as you can tell, a perfectly happy kid living a perfectly happy life. But all the same, she's happiest making her own world - a world where trees can wear hats or animals talk on the phone.

You can really see the joy of creating when you read this book. (Not so much when you read this review. Words are failing me right now in describing it!) ( )

Genre: Realistic Fiction
This is a good example of realistic fiction because the story is about a little girl who loves to paint wonderful, exciting pictures. While her pictures depict amazing fantasy lands and events, the little girl could be any real little girl, who loves her family and loves to make art. These are possible, realistic events.
Point of View Review: This is a good example of third person limited point of view. A narrator is telling the story. We can know Lily's thoughts, but not the thoughts of her family. We are limited in the view we are given into the world surrounding Lily.
Media: Watercolors

A good example of fantasy because while it starts with something concrete and realistic, the idea of Lily painting, things happen that could never literally happen. When Lily paints, things come alive and her life transforms. She sees trees wearing hats and drinking tea while she walks to school. Lily is able to walk around in her paintings and sail through the fields she creates. Understandably, had these things been spoken of figuratively, this book would be a realistic fictional work. It looms on the edge of fantasy but persists in this manner. Ultimately, Lily is able to express herself any way she wants when she paints. If she wants to paint people walking upside down or fruit with faces singing, she can. In the end, Lily remembers how much she loves her mom's smile, her dad's eyes, and how her brother holds her hand, and decides to paint a picture of her family to express her emotions.

Media: watercolor ( )

This story is about a young girl who loves to paint. Throughout the story, she describes her paintings and the world within them. Although she enjoys spending time in her imaginary worlds, she doesn't forget to appreciate her family and the real world. The illustrations are varied. In parts, it has realistic, adult-like pictures that are about the family. However, when it turns into Lily's paintings, the illustrations are very child-like and simple with parts that are not perfectly drawn. The text is embedded in the pictures and is not always in the same place. The illustrations also have synergy because her paintings are an important part of the story, and that is what a large number of the illustrations are showing. This story would be recommended for kindergartner- second grade aged children. This story promotes creativity and imagination. ( )

Lily Brown is an artist; there’s no doubt about that. When she paints, the world around her is transformed into dancing stars and trees that wear hats. In her masterpieces, striped and polka-dotted fruit talk with people and sing all the way home from the market. Lily has a special talent for making the everyday seem magical, but what is most special to her is her family and the life that they share together. Little things about the people she loves are what she thinks about when she puts her paint and brushes away at night: “Her mama’s smile, her daddy’s eyes, and the way her baby brother holds her hand before he goes to sleep. It’s their world again, and it’s wondrous” (n.p.). Angela Johnson’s gentle and sweet story is made even more wonderful by E.B. White’s watercolor paintings, which move from his signature impressionistic style to a child-like naiveté as Lily takes over the brush. Johnson and White have nine Coretta Scott King (CSK) awards and honors between them, and White is also a recipient of the Caldecott Honor award.

My review from Michigan Reading Journal, 40(1), 63-72. ( )