Lately Lily

April 28, 2014
A tie-in to a line of travel-related clothing and merchandise (of which Player is creative director), this book sees redheaded Lily and her stuffed animal pal, Zeborah, following in the footsteps of Lily's globetrotting parents (seen only once from their necks down, striding quickly and stylishly ahead of their daughter). Player's text is unflagging in its energy and optimism, which can make Lily seem more like a symbol of a busy, jet-setting lifestyle than a character in her own right. "Every day is an adventure! I wonder what we'll do today?" Lily asks in a setting that could be either a Chinatown or China itself. "New places lead to unexpected discoveries," she says while contemplating the Mona Lisa and gelato. "Museums make me want to create!" There's no denying the élan of Player's colorful, cartooned illustrations or the gamine charm of his breezily confident heroine. This is not a kid who whines that her feet hurt, that she doesn't care about another stupid statue, or that all she wants is McDonald's French fries. In other words, she's a platonic ideal for parents and kids alike. Ages 3â5.

March 15, 2014
Lily, a cute freckled redhead with enormous eyes, flits through a number of unnamed countries with her stuffed zebra, Zeborah. Ostensibly created to inculcate wanderlust in very young children, this character seems to be little more than an advertisement for the author/artist's clothing company for little girls, called Lately Lily. Talk about cross-platform! Lily's parents travel a lot for their jobs, and the lucky young lady gets to accompany them. Although the usual images (the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, a red London double-decker bus) show up in the retro illustrations, there is very little text that provides any information--or storytelling, for that matter. In her favor, Lily is seen writing in her journal and sending letters to the friends that she meets along the way. Knowledgeable parents or other adults could use the pictures as a jumping-off point, but why bother introducing young readers to pictures of stereotypically dressed children and familiar monuments when there is no real content? Yes, it's fun to visit other countries but not in the vacuous manner of Lily's visits. Very young children deserve a better reason to get excited about our world than this bit of promotional fluff. (Picture book. 4-5)

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May 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 1-Lily's parents travel the world for work, and whether by bus, train, plane, or hot air balloon, the child and her stuffed friend, Zeborah, go with them. Each day brings a new adventure, new friends to meet, and new entries for Lily's journal. Although the book is new, "Lily" is the established star of an apparel company created by Player and Lily apparel designer Erin Nichols. Player's illustrating expertise is perfectly suited for the picture-book format. Bold, bright, and inviting images fill the spreads, and the text tells the story in only a few words. With carefully chosen text and simple sentence structure, the book is a great choice for independent readers or as a read-aloud.-Megan Egbert, Meridian Library District, ID

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
In this book-length promo for the titular children's clothing company, Lily tells about traveling with her parents, whose work takes them all around the world. Her comments, while enthusiastic, tend to be superficial, with few specifics about her destinations. Lily's face--virtually always smiling, with huge eyes--also seems bland, though the rest of the illustrations are lively enough.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)