Carnival Lilly

Carn'evil' Lilly (Lil' Lilly series)

Children - Animals
38 Pages
Reviewed on 05/23/2020
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Lilly is in for some fun and adventure, but her story begins with a sad event when she awakens one morning to find her beloved dog, Punkin, is missing: “I know WHO caused this P-Upheaval…” And the wordplay begins. It’s a battle between Evil Eva at the Carnival and poor distraught Lilly. With her friends, Lilly sets out to rescue Punkin before it’s too late.

Kathy Johnson’s picture book story, Carnival Lilly/ Carn’evil’ Lilly (Lil’ Lilly series), is another fun and interactive wordplay story in the Lilly series. Told mostly in rhyming verse, this very colorfully illustrated book is chock full of fun ideas, fun words, and a fun story. Like Martin Handford’s Where’s Waldo series, this book is eye-boggling with all the playful extras, particularly in the illustrations. The fun (and funny) use (and playful misuse) of words adds a charming characteristic to an otherwise silly mystery.

The plot follows the search for missing Punkin, leading Lilly and her friends to the Carnival in search of the dognapper, Evil Eva. But, just as the group of children thinks they’re getting closer to finding Punkin, Evil Eva devises some seemingly silly way to hide the little pup. With a little bit of chanting, “Magicow. Tragicow. Anthropo-Phagicow,” Punkin is transformed and hidden again, Evil Eva delighted that “You’re a famous ‘MOO’vie star cow. Lilly will never find you now!” Such fun, such a play on words. And so many things to look at, to observe and laugh about as the young reader absorbs all the phonetically, sound-alike words that are so downright silly.