Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

by Kevin Henkes, Kevin Henkes (Illustrator)

Overview

Lilly, the indomitable mouse-child of Chester's Way and Julius, the Baby of the World, is back! Young readers will cheer loud and long for Lilly's return and for Kevin Henkes at his hilarious, tender best. Full-color illustrations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780688128982
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/19/1996
Series:	Kevin Henkes's Mouse Books
Edition description:	Library Edition
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.25(d)
Lexile:	600L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kevin Henkes has been praised both as a writer and as an illustrator and is the recipient of the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to literature for children. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon; Caldecott Honors for Waiting and Owen; two Newbery Honors, one for Olive’s Ocean and one for The Year of Billy Miller; and Geisel Honors for Waiting and Penny and Her Marble. His other books include The World and Everything in It; A House; A Parade of Elephants; Chrysanthemum; and the beloved Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.

Kevin Henkes has been praised both as a writer and as an illustrator and is the recipient of the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to literature for children. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon; Caldecott Honors for Waiting and Owen; two Newbery Honors, one for Olive’s Ocean and one for The Year of Billy Miller; and Geisel Honors for Waiting and Penny and Her Marble. His other books include The World and Everything in It; A House; A Parade of Elephants; Chrysanthemum; and the beloved Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.

Hometown:

Madison, Wisconsin

Date of Birth:

November 27, 1960

Place of Birth:

Racine, Wisconsin

Education:

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Website:

http://www.kevinhenkes.com

Table of Contents

Lilly the mouse adores her teacher, Mr. Slinger -- until he takes away the purple plastic purse she was proudly showing off to her class. Lilly is so angry she draws a nasty picture of Mr. Slinger and slips it in his bag. At the end of the day, Lilly gets her purse back, and inside is a sympathetic note and a bag of treats. As in all his other books, Henkes shows an incredible sensitivity to children's feelings.

Editorial Reviews

Lilly is one of the great female characters in literature—like Anna Karenina with whiskers or Scarlett O’Hara with paws.” — USA Today

“In all of children’s literature there is just a handful of characters we think of as family—Madeline, Winnie-the-Pooh, and Charlotte come to mind—and when this young generation is old enough to reflect on the ones it loved, Lilly will probably lead the pack.” — New York Times Book Review

"Henkes gets it all just right. All of the bustling, inventive artwork is a pleasure to look at. The whole book, art and text, is lovingly layered to express the mixed emotions that all of us experience.” — Booklist (starred review)

From the Publisher

Mr. Henkes manages to convey the depth of Lilly's emotions in illustrations that are pure delight. -- New York Times

Ann Pleshette Murphy

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 bagonly 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.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 2-Kevin Henkes' characters always delight students and teachers with their real-life personalities, foibles, and situations. The stories are funny and sweet, and readers can recognize their own experiences in the characters. In Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse (Greenwillow, 1996) Lilly, who loves school and her teacher, has gone shopping with her Grandmother. Lilly comes home with a new purse and she can't wait to show it off to her classmates. Mr. Slinger reminds Lilly to wait until sharing time, but Lilly's enthusiasm gets the best of her and the teacher must take the purse away from her. Heartbroken, Lilly retaliates by drawing a mean picture of her teacher and slipping it into his school bag. When Mr. Slinger returns the purse to Lilly at the end of the day along with a kind note and treats, Lilly feels remorse, runs home, and confesses all to her family. She gives herself a time-out and then draws a new, more complimentary picture of Mr. Slinger. Lilly apologizes profusely, her teacher accepts, and during sharing time the purse is presented to the class. This audio version features excellent narration, mouse-like voices, and delightful sound effects mirroring the illustrations. Listeners must have the book available while listening to the tape because the illustrations are wonderful and reflect all the emotion that Lilly feels throughout the story. For schools that use audio books, this is a must purchase along with all of Kevin Henkes' other terrific tales.-Jane Enfield, Howe Community School, Minneapolis, MN Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Lilly is one of the great female characters in literature—like Anna Karenina with whiskers or Scarlett O’Hara with paws.

USA Today

"Henkes gets it all just right. All of the bustling, inventive artwork is a pleasure to look at. The whole book, art and text, is lovingly layered to express the mixed emotions that all of us experience.

Booklist (starred review)

In all of children’s literature there is just a handful of characters we think of as family—Madeline, Winnie-the-Pooh, and Charlotte come to mind—and when this young generation is old enough to reflect on the ones it loved, Lilly will probably lead the pack.

New York Times Book Review

Lilly is one of the great female characters in literature—like Anna Karenina with whiskers or Scarlett O’Hara with paws.

USA Today