Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse (Kevin Henkes; Greenwillow Books, 1996)

I discovered this picture book from a parenting magazine’s list of ‘best picture books of all time’. My eldest daughter is pleased that it is renewed again from the library – this time we have the shiny new 20^th anniversary edition in our hands! ‘Wow’ is about all I can say.  Leave yourself some extra time to read this book and enjoy the multiple illustrations on most pages – being 20 years old, its word count is longer than most contemporary picture books that are trending shorter in length. Trust me, though, you’ll be enraptured by every word as Lilly takes her new purple plastic purse to Mr. Slinger’s class for a day. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse is a fun, relatable story for children; once you read this picture book, I have a feeling that about all you’ll be able to say is ‘wow’.