Lily the Unicorn

PreS-Gr 2—Adventuresome Lily (a pink unicorn) tries to convince risk-averse Roger (a penguin) to participate in a long list of adventures, games, and other fun activities. Roger, with a tightly furrowed brow, fears many "scary things" in the world and worries that he doesn't have the skills that Lily does to build a helicopter, invent new planets, play tic-tac-toe, scale volcanoes, etc. In the end, they compromise and agree to make an effort at friendship. Lily and Roger's stream of imaginary activities, objects, and situations are authentically childlike. Lily loves tie-dyeing and looking at clouds, while Roger fears oversleeping, broken promises, and tiny germs. Clayton renders these details in breezy, colorful pen-and-ink cartoons that favor whimsy over precision. Each page is packed with labeled images and hand-lettered text adding extra personality. Children will likely want to pore over the art more than once.—Nora Clancy, Teachers College Community School, New York City