Lily’s Wondrous World: A Day in the Park Book Review

Full disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book from Stress Free Book Marketing in exchange for an honest review.

This year has another first. A type of book that I haven’t reviewed on this website is the picture book. I read a lot of them when I was a Children’s Librarian, but I didn’t have the time to review them. Nonetheless, I’m glad to check picture books off the list. Which one is the first to be reviewed on this website? That’s Lily’s Wondrous World: A Day in the Park by Marc Polett and illustrated by Vasya Baev – a cute and fun picture book that embraces nature in many ways.

Lily’s Wondrous World: A Day in the Park is the first of a four-part series starring Lily and her animal friends. Lily is a young girl who goes to the park. While there, she meets a rabbit named Benny, a squirrel named Nutty, and a dog named Rusty. Together, they have a lot of fun going on adventures, exploring nature, and building a wonderful bond while in the great outdoors.

Like many picture books, it’s a quick read. It can make a 4- to 8- year old pretty excited to go to the park with its bold and bright illustrations. Baev utilized generative AI tools like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion and blended them in with his artistic abilities. The mix between the two feels natural. It looks straight out of a Disney Junior show, which is not a bad thing in this case. A simple story like this needs simple designs. My only complaint is that Lily looks embarrassed when the book tells readers that she and her furry friends “are always here with love and joy and laughter and cheer.” 

Other than that, Baev’s visuals perfectly demonstrate the happy and nature-based story.

The characters’ pop out on the page even if they don’t have any other unique traits besides who they are. I like Lily’s look with her red hair and yellow dress. While a girl with that hair color and a yellow ensemble isn’t new (think Madeline), the look along with a Polly Pocket-ponytail still stands out. Her main personality features are that she loves nature and is friendly. Benny, Nutty, and Rusty are animals that one would expect to see in any Disney-related property. They are cute, happy, big-eyed, and not much else. Considering that this is a story about the park and its wondrous things in it, readers will most likely not expect deep characters.

The text is done in rhyme. These are simply ones that detail Lily’s day in the park. They flow very well. Most importantly, they capture the images seen in the picture book effectively. Some adults might wonder where her parents are, but this is not the kind of book for that. Besides, there are people who let their kids go to places by themselves as long as they come home by dinnertime.

Its main strength is the mood. Since it’s about the wondrous world, the park greatly demonstrates that. The book portrays everything about it, including the meadows, the woods, and the creek as if it was a kid’s first time going there. It’s meant to open their eyes to the natural world, which the book succeeds at with an overall happy vibe.

Lily’s Wondrous World: A Day in the Park by Marc Polett and illustrated by Vasya Baev is a delightful picture book about four friends and their time in the park. The visuals and character designs reflect the cheerful mood with its bold, bright, and Disney-esque designs. If one is looking for something deeper, you will not find it here. It’s a simple story about exploring nature. I would recommend it to kids and adults who love the outdoors and bright illustrations. It’s a nice picture book to start out with; I hope to review more in the future.

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