Full Disclosure: I write about music and sometimes comedy. I am not an expert on literature, and, specifically, I’m not an expert on Children’s Literature. I am also married to an expert on Children’s Literature, and I really should have asked her to write this review, but I didn’t. However, currently, I am living life as a stay-at-home Dad to an amazing toddler that demands that I read to her several times a day. This kid also loves music, records, and cats. So, when I opened up my mailbox and found a copy of Lily’s Grooves, the story of a record store cat, I decided that it wasn’t really my opinion or even my partner with a master’s in Children’s Literature opinion that mattered. Just the kid.
When I first opened the book and saw the art, which seemed fairly similar to how anime characters were drawn, I was worried that it was a little too “grown-up” for my kid, and they wouldn’t be into it. I was very, very wrong. She immediately recognized Lily as a cat and even excitedly pointed to her while screaming, “KITTY!” She did the same for the record player on the cover. So far, so good…
As for the story, it’s about a cat that is a little wild and prone to making messes in every room they are in and is only soothed by music. This was instantly relatable to my toddler. She was captivated by this tale and demanded repeated readings IMMEDIATELY. In our first sitting, we probably read it close to 10 times. There is a villain in the story aptly named “Mr. Donald” (this is definitely not a subtle nod), and after a few reads, my kid would actually scream “MR. DONALD!” whenever we got to a page with him featured. This made me happy in ways your Republican uncle will never be OK with.
Lily’s Grooves is a charming, cute little tale that is great for helping toddlers understand their own emotions and what it’s like to feel a little wild. It’s a fine book that stands up to repeated reads and does what any piece of children’s literature should do- it makes a kid want to read.
Lily’s Grooves is available now in both Hardcover and Paperback from Bookshop.org or anywhere books are sold. I guess you can actually go to a real bookstore now, which is lovely!
