LILY'S CAT MASK

Equipped with a vivid imagination and her trusty cat mask, Lily can take on anything!

Lily hadn't been looking for a cat mask, but when she saw it in the store, it was almost like it had been looking for her. In an unexpected move, her dad said yes when she asked for it. She didn't need a shopping bag. She wore it right out of the store.

Soon Lily is wearing her new mask everywhere--to tea parties with friends, big parties with family, and even to the doctor--her shyly smiling face hidden behind a bolder one. When Lily can't get nice, her mask is on. When she makes important wishes, her mask is on. And when she enters a new class for the first time with classmates she hardly knows, her mask is most certainly on. Until, that is, her teacher makes her take it off and she has to face her peers as she is.

Julie Fortenberry deftly navigates self-expression and new experiences with a playfulness that makes Lily a character you won't soon forget!

Lily might sometimes hide behind her cat mask, but she is still a fun-loving, happy kid. Her shyness comes and goes like it does with real kids, allowing younger readers to see themselves in her even if they don't feel shy all the time. What some authors would characterize as a safety blanket Julie portrays as armor that is part of what make Lily uniquely vibrant.
The light and playful illustrations and text turn a serious topic into an endearing adventure full of imagination, making it a delight to read!

Julie Fortenberry is part of a family of artists. Her husband is an abstract painter. Her son is also an artist and her daughter is a choreographer and dancer. Born in Southern California, Julie moved to New York City to attend Hunter College, where she received an MFA in painting. Her abstract artwork has been exhibited in solo and group shows in galleries including White Columns and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Lily's Cat Mask is her first book with Viking. Visit her at http://juliefortenberry.com/ and follow her on Twitter @childrensbook.