Lily Lemon Blossom: Where is Lily’s Miss Kelly Kay? by Barbara Miller and Inga Shalvashvili
Published: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013
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Digital picture books are still in their infancy. Authors who self-publish children’s picture books report many obstacles including the high cost of illustration, steep digital download fees and marketing to the librarians, teachers and book reviewers who get books into the hands of children. I consider any early adopter of digital picture book publishing to be somewhat of a hero. I found the first Lily Lemon Blossom book
Where is Lily’s Miss Kelly Kay? is the fourth book in the Lily Lemon Blossom series with the most recent book released in 2016. In this story, Lily receives a doll she names Miss Kelly Kay for her third birthday and then promptly loses her. She spends most of the rest of the book looking for the doll in different scenes around her house. Rhyming elements sometimes creep into the prose. The plot is simple so the illustrations take center stage.
Shalvashvili’s artwork is bold and striking, with large background details and rich swatches of color. Patterns appear on clothes, upholstery, toys and the girls’ wavy hair, all painted in traditional watercolors. There are interesting items to examine on every page, from lattice-topped cherry pies to a bunny’s underpants, and the hominess is reminiscent of Holly Hobby.
The mystery in Where is Lily’s Miss Kelly Kay? is quickly resolved and there is no lesson to learn. Instead, the story is a pleasant walk through a young girl’s life in a sweet, cozy atmosphere. At the 99-cent price point, there’s enough copy to challenge new readers and the book would fit nicely in the digital library of a child who loves dolls, toys and tea parties.