Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons [Hardcover]

Agnes Rosenstiehl (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Lilly is a spunky little girl who delights in the unexpected pleasures of each season, peering inside shells in the summer and tasting different kinds of apples in the fall. In this charming and subtle book by one of France's premier children's book authors, Lilly learns more about the outdoors, and introduces the youngest readers to the colors, words, and shapes that arise in nature. Silly Lilly's intimate monologues deftly capture a child's sense of wonder, in five whimsical episodes that cycle through the calendar from spring back to spring again.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1–Minimal text and simple cartoons follow Silly Lilly through the course of a year. Each seasonal adventure is a complete story in which the child delights in the smallest discoveries. She wonders about a tiny snail, the taste of fall apples, and snow. The quiet humor will not bring on belly laughs, but will be appreciated by young audiences. The simplified comic-book format has one to two panels per page. Each panel has one dialogue balloon; each balloon has a single sentence. The short sentences and large print make this a good choice for beginning readers. The descriptive illustrations assist with the storytelling and make this book adaptable for preliteracy conversations. This small-sized book is best read alone or shared one to one.–Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
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About the Author

Agnès Rosenstiehl is the beloved writer and artist of nearly a hundred children’s books, many featuring the deceptively simple antics of “Mimi Cracra”, Silly Lilly’s French alter ego. In 1995, she received the prestigious Grand Prize for Children’s Books from the Société des Gens de Lettres. Agnès formally studied literature as well as music, and is married to an eminent mathematician. She lives in a country house with a garden, hidden in the center of Paris. She has four children and fifteen grandchildren.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: Toon Books (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979923816
• ISBN-13: 978-0979923814
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 0.4 x 6.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #532,102 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute and Easy To Read, April 18, 2009

By 

Nicola Manning (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons (Hardcover)

This time around I'm reviewing the first three books published in this series of graphic novels for emergent readers. The struggling reader (8yo) enjoyed the others so much we went out and bought the first three. So he has now read the entire line of Toon Books and anxiously awaits the publication of the next set.

They are around 30-odd pages each.

This is the easiest of the first three books. Simple words, large letters and divided into five parts as Lilly enjoys each season of the year, starting and ending with Spring. My struggling reader had no problems reading this book at all. The illustrations are really cute too!

Highly recommend any one of the 8 books in this series published so far.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely walk through the seasons, April 17, 2009

By 

R. Bruton "Richard Bruton" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons (Hardcover)

Like all Toon Books, the first thing you'll notice about Silly Lilly is the beautiful presentation of this exquisite hardback with sumptuous design. Louise (my dear wife) and Molly (aged 9) read this one first and both really enjoyed it. Louise was particularly taken with it and said it really reminded her of the sorts of books she remembers from her childhood. Having read it later myself I have to concur with these two esteemed judges of great books. Silly Lilly is just delightful, simple words and clear art that just entrance readers young and old.

The Silly Lilly character is based on Rosenstiehl's "Mimi Cracra" character published for years in her native France and is a masterfully simple tale. Or rather a series of five tales, cycling through the seasons, beginning and ending with spring. Each season takes just five pages including the title page, but that's enough, as the energetic and graceful Lilly dances her way across the pages, playing in the park with Teddy, exploring the beach, tasting apples in the fall, playing in the snow and finally flying on a swing. Each tale focuses on one simple thing,but does so in such a way that a child can find a real bond with this fun little girl.

The economy of story-telling is perfect for the age group with each page just two large panels, of clear black line and a subtle watercolour texture on the minimalist backgrounds. The language is as minimal as the backgrounds, never too difficult and with each sentence ending with an exclamation mark, it's a fun, fast read.

It's quite the perfect book for an emerging reader and, as discovered by Louise, one that may have as much appeal to an older audience, who'll see a nostalgic look back to the simple picture books of their childhood. Either way, it's quite lovely.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Silly Lilly, November 24, 2008

By 

S. Do - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons (Hardcover)

Silly Lilly is a adventurous little girl who skips through the seasons. Hopefully, this book will inspire young readers to explore the outdoors instead of sitting inside with their computers and video games!!

I love Lilly's outfits!