meet the cast
Small mice with enormous feelings
They wear dresses and capes, worry about everything, sing too loudly, and carry their blankets everywhere. They are mice — and they are some of the most beloved characters in children’s books.
The story behind the mice
why mice, Kevin?
“I made sketches — a dog, a cat, an elephant, and a mouse. I liked the mouse.”
Kevin’s earliest books starred realistically drawn children. As his stories grew funnier, he wanted looser, warmer drawings — so he tried animals. Bailey Goes Camping introduced rabbits, and for A Weekend with Wendell he chose a mouse from his sketchbook. The rest is (children’s literature) history.
— from Kevin’s Q&A, answer about Wendell
Kevin’s one-word portraits
asked to sum up each mouse in a single word…
- Chesterreliable
- Chrysanthemumsensitive
- Lillyexuberant
- Owencentered
- Sheila Raebrave, of course
- Wendellclever
- Sophietenacious
- Wemberlythoughtful
Sophie appears in A Weekend with Wendell & Waiting
nine mice, one volume
The whole family, in one book
Lilly & Friends gathers all nine classic mouse picture books in a single jacketed treasury — with new jacket art, family reading tips, story activities, and an afterword by Kevin Henkes.
Lilly & Friends · A Picture Book Treasury