Julius is the baby of the world, said his parents. But Lilly, his older sister, disagreed. She thought he was disgusting. She hoped he would go away. But he didn't. He stayed and stayed and stayed. Nothing her parents said or did could change Lilly's mind about Julius. But when Cousin Garland had a thing or two to say about the situation, Lilly had a change of heart.
Lilly is convinced that the arrival of her new baby brother is the worst thing that has happened in their house, until Cousin Garland comes to visit.
Kevin Henkes is an award-winning author and illustrator of many books for children of all ages. He lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.
Kevin Henkes is an award-winning author and illustrator of many books for children of all ages. He lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.
Back in his peanut-butter sandwich days, Henkes dreamed of becoming an artist. By high school, he had combined his love of drawing with a newfound interest in writing, and at age 19, he took his portfolio to New York City in hopes of finding a publisher. Young Henkes returned home from his weeklong trip with a contract from Greenwillow Books, and he's worked as a children's writer and illustrator ever since.
Henkes's style has evolved over the years to include more humor, more whimsy and a lot more mice. Though he began illustrating his picture books with realistic drawings of children, he's since developed a recurring cast of mouse characters rendered in a more cartoon-like style -- though with a range of expressions that make the spirited Lilly, anxious Wemberly, fearless Sheila Rae and sensitive Chrysanthemum into highly believable heroines. Owen, the story of a little mouse who isn't ready to give up his tattered security blanket, won a Caldecott Honor Medal for its winsome watercolor-and-ink illustrations.
Many of Henkes's mouse books deal with such common childhood ordeals as starting school, being teased and getting lost. Chrysanthemum, about a mouse whose new schoolmates tease her about her name, was inspired by Henkes's own feelings when he started school. "The book is about family, and how starting something new and going out into the world can be very hard," he told an interviewer for The Five Owls. "I remember going to kindergarten -- my grandfather had a beautiful rose garden, and he gave me the last roses of the season to bring to the kindergarten teacher the next day. I don't even remember how it happened, but an older kid took these flowers from me on the playground, and I remember coming home, feeling awful." As a grown-up, Henkes is able to translate difficult childhood transitions into stories that are both honest and reassuring. In a review of Chrysanthemum, Kirkus Reviews noted: "Henkes's language and humor are impeccably fresh, his cozy illustrations sensitive and funny, his little asides to adults an unobtrusive delight."
Henkes has also written novels for older children, in which he "explores family relationships with breathtaking tenderness" (Publisher's Weekly). In The Birthday Room, for example, a twelve-year-old boy learns the reason for his mother's long estrangement from her brother, and helps effect a reconciliation. "Refreshingly, Henkes has given us a male protagonist who is reflective, creative and emotionally sensitive," wrote Karen Leggett in The New York Times Book Review. "Ben feels the anguish of his mother's long-simmering bitterness and his uncle's agonizing guilt. Yet at a time when it is almost a fad to blame dysfunctional families for problems, we learn that even though there are never simple answers and not many fairy-tale endings, families can heal."
Though his novels are more complex and serious than his picture books, all Henkes's works suggest an author with deep empathy for the intense emotions of childhood. As a Publisher's Weekly reviewer wrote, "Behind each book is a wide-open heart, one readers can't help but respond to, that makes all of Henkes's books of special value to children."
Henkes has turned down requests to use his mouse characters in a television series, but some of his books are available in video form in Chrysanthemum and More Kevin Henkes Stories. The video's narrators include Meryl Streep, Sarah Jessica Parker and Mary Beth Hurt.
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse has been adapted into a stage play.
loveourgirls
Posted March 15, 2012
We are expecting a new member in our family and bought this after reading the reviews. Our little tyrant of a daughter told us how awful Lilly was and would keep saying how mean she was to her baby brother. We hope that baby Julius has influenced our little tyrant in a positive manner! Only a few more weeks to go in order to find out.
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Posted February 20, 2010
I Also Recommend:
It is always nice to have a little present for the big brother or big sister when a baby is born. I turn to this story over and over. Lily is quite the character ... she is in many of Kevin Henkes books. She is not too sure about her brother until someone ELSE says something mean about him. It's a great story as is all of Kevin Henke's stories.
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Posted May 15, 2008
Henkes does a wonderful job depicting the story of Lilly, a little mouse who is about to become a big sister. Before her younger sibling is born, she is the best big sister any mouse could ask for. However, when her brother, Julius, is born, Lilly began to feel jealous of him. She tries her hardest to get her parents to get rid of Julius. This and her other antics earn her several minutes in the time-out chair. Lilly's parents decide to throw a part for Julius and several relatives attend. One of Lilly's cousins begins to make fun of Julius, Lilly demands that her cousin take back her words and proclaim Julius the baby of the world! Henkes' illustrations addhumor and aide comprehension. This book would be great for early elementary age students possibly when discussing siblings or feelings.
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Posted December 17, 2007
The book was great! We really liked the end when Lilly was kind to Julius. We thought it was funny when Julius blew bubbles and then Lilly blew bubbles and got in trouble. We made a connection to this book too. It made us think about a kid we know that sometimes teases her little sister. This book was fantastic!
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Posted May 7, 2006
I found this book in the library while looking for something to read to my 3yr old daughter. I had so much fun reading it to her I took it to work to read to my preschool class. They really loved it! The whole time I was reading it they commented on what a bad girl Lilly was being.
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Posted March 3, 2006
This was the cutest book I think I have ever read! My kids always want me to read it more and more and I can't get enough of it either. I actually taught my oldest child how to deal with the new baby coming with this book.
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Posted December 6, 2005
The book was funny and cute. We really like the story. We liked the characters, they were funny and nice. Lilly was mean but she was nice in the end. We liked the ending, it was cute and funny. The ending was really cool. It was weird that Lilly was mean to Julius. We definitly recommend this book to other teachers. We recommed this book to Kindergarteners and up.
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Posted April 15, 2002
I discovered this book when my sister was expecting her second child. My nephew and I read this book MANY times those first couple years after his baby sister arrived. It was his favorite book! It was a great way to relate to an older child's feelings of jealousy over a new sibling! He also quit eating raisins after reading this book because Lilly said that 'raisins taste like dirt'. We still have a laugh about that one!
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Posted February 25, 2001
I was in the library, searching for Judy Blume's 'The Pain and the Great One' when I stumbled upon this book. My two older children are in grave competition with my younger daughter. When we read this book, my older daughter almost fell off the couch because she was laughing so hard. We have read this book again and again and particularly enjoy the Lily's wit and creativity in expressing her feelings about her new baby. A MUST read for anyone with children experiencing sibling rivalry. Smart and funny!!
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Posted November 5, 2011
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Posted June 29, 2010
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Posted March 17, 2009
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Posted October 9, 2011
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Overview
Julius is the baby of the world, said his parents. But Lilly, his older sister, disagreed. She thought he was disgusting. She hoped he would go away. But he didn't. He stayed and stayed and stayed. ...