FICTION

Where Lily Isn’t

by Julie Paschkis (text) & illus. by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
Holt/Godwin Bks. Jan. 2020. 32p. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781250184252.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2–This book addresses the loss of a pet with great sensitivity and tenderness. Lily, a dog, has died, and the child who loved her notices all the spaces that are empty now that she is gone: the lonely park, the quiet in all the rooms of the house, and the empty rug next to her bed. The girl realizes that when she draws, it is Lily that she draws over and over again. In fact, Lily still exists in her memory and in her heart. Chodos-Irvine does a remarkable job with the art. She draws what is not there in such a way that readers sense Lily on every page.
VERDICT This book is beautifully written and illustrated, and answers a real need that children have. Paschkis offers children hope as she moves Lily firmly into the memory and heart of our young child. A tender addition for most libraries.
Reviewed by Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA , Jan 01, 2020

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