by Agnes Rosenstiehl

Candlewick Press, $12.95, 32 pages

Brand new readers will be so excited to get their little hands on their very first comic book. Silly Lilly in What Will I Be Today? is an introduction to the comic book genre. Author Agnes Rosenstiehl has organized the story using the seven days of the week. Lilly plans to try a new job every day. On Monday she is a book. The comic strip follows her around the house as she makes soup and prepares beets. Children will recognize the colors of the vegetables. Parents and teachers can enforce the book’s vocabulary in daily life. On Saturday Lilly is a teacher. Bear is her student. She reads, writes, and shows him how to use flash cards. A great follow up activity for parents would be to make flash cards with your child using words from the book. Throughout the week, Lilly is also a city planner, a musician, an acrobat, a candy taster, and even a vampire! This simple, nicely illustrated comic book is a great way to boost a reader’s confidence. By using the same format, create a comic with your child showing what he or she would love to do during a week of fun.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Franklin