It's Lily's big day... her dream of earning her wings to attend Amelia's Angel Academy may just come true. But who has hidden her practice wings? And will Lily be able to find them in time to take the test?
A reprint of the Lily The Littlest Angel series, this is the first in a series of books for young readers who have made the transition from picture books to chapter books.
Using simple sentences and short chapters, the story follows Lily as she must sit a test to qualify for her wings and a proper place at Angel Academy. Yet there are two angels vying for the one spot. When everything goes wrong, Lily begins to wonder who is trying to sabotage her.
Author Elizabeth Pulford touches on some common themes for younger readers – friendship, honesty, kindness, and the fear of not fitting in or feeling small and insignificant.
Lily as a character isn’t afraid to speak up or do her own thing, but is quick to fall in line when dealing with adults. Her creativity and resilience is admirable, so too is her kindness for fellow angel Tisa.
Pulford originally published the six books in the series in 2012, so this reprint opens up the story to a new generation of younger readers. The chapters are quite short, making it an easy bedtime read too for the younger readers or for adults to read aloud.
Primarily aimed at children between six and nine-years-old, the writing is simple and perfectly pitched at that age range. The story is very girl-centric however, with no male characters of note (aside from a grumpy professor).
Illustrations by Aki Fukuoka help younger children picture the story in their minds, with little drawings throughout the book adding to the humour and tension of the story.
Lily the Littlest Angel is a sweet story for younger readers with growing confidence and independence.
Reviewer: Rebekah Fraser
Scholastic, RRP $12.99