Lily Leads the Way

A little sailboat has a big burst of determination when a fleet of tall ships needs assistance.

Lily the sailboat is small but sturdy, in a harbor full of enormous cargo ships, speedy fishing vessels, and bossy tugboats that all have somewhere to go. And something to say—mostly, “Out of my way, Lily!” But Lily has somewhere to go, too. Out on the lake, the tall ships are coming! To pass from the harbor to the lake, Lily must blow her horn and ask the lift bridge to rise—“Meee-me?”—but the big vessels’ blasts are so much louder as they crowd her out and rock her with waves. Finally, Lily slips under just before the bridge goes down, her sails fluttering with excitement as she spies the majestic barquentine, schooner, and other grand old ships heading toward the now-lowered bridge. Silently! How will the bridge know to rise? Can Lily save the day? This tale of plucky persistence, illustrated with the splash and sparkle of a summer day on the water, is sure to empower any child to take charge when the time is right. A note from the author, a Newbery Honoree, offers more facts about bridges and boats for curious readers.

Margi Preus, a New York Times best-selling author, wrote the Newbery Honor Book Heart of a Samurai and other novels, including the Enchantment Lake mystery series, The Littlest Voyageur, and Village of Scoundrels. Her picture books include Storm’s Coming!, illustrated by David Geister; Celebritrees: Historic and Famous Trees of the World, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon; and The Legend of the Lady Slipper, cowritten with Lise Lunge-Larsen and illustrated by Andrea Arroyo. Margi Preus lives near Lake Superior in Minnesota, not far from the bridge that inspired Lily Leads the Way.

Matt Myers is the illustrator of the Infamous Ratsos chapter book series as well as the picture books E-I-E-I-O: How Old MacDonald Got His Farm (with a Little Help from a Hen) by Judy Sierra and Pirate’s Perfect Pet by Beth Ferry. Matt Myers lives in North Carolina.