
Reach for this book when your child is transitioning into collaborative play and needs a gentle roadmap for group creativity. It is the perfect choice for an afternoon when energy is high and you want to channel it into imaginative roleplay. The story follows Lily May and her diverse group of friends as they brainstorm what to be next, moving from being tall trees to wobbly Jell-O and eventually sleepy cats. At its heart, this is a celebration of the 'yes, and' spirit of childhood friendship. It models how a group of children can listen to one another's ideas and move through different moods together. For toddlers and preschoolers, it reinforces the joy of movement and the social bonds formed through shared pretend play. It is a lighthearted, visually bright guide to the magic of saying, 'What shall we play?'
None. This is a purely secular, joyful, and safe exploration of play with no conflict or heavy themes.
A three-year-old who is beginning to move from parallel play to cooperative play. It is especially suited for a child who enjoys 'gross motor' play and likes to use their whole body to express ideas.
Your experience helps other parents find the right book.
Sign in to write a reviewThis book can be read cold. It is highly interactive, so parents should be prepared to pause and let the child physically act out the different roles mentioned in the text. A parent might reach for this after seeing their child struggle to include others in a game or when a playdate feels 'stuck' and needs a spark of inspiration for what to do next.
For a 2-year-old, this is a concept book about naming objects and mimicking sounds. For a 4- or 5-year-old, it is a social manual on how to take turns with suggestions and how to play creatively with a group of peers.
Unlike many 'pretend' books that focus on high-concept adventures (like going to space), this book stays rooted in the charming, everyday whimsy of a backyard or playroom. It celebrates the simplicity of just 'being' something else without the need for elaborate costumes or props.
Lily May and her three friends (Martha, Meena, and Ewan) engage in a series of imaginative transformations. They take turns suggesting what to pretend to be: trees, cars, cats, Jell-O, and fairies. Each suggestion leads to a physical enactment of that object or animal, ending with a quiet moment as they all fall asleep after their play.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.