What Can We Do Next?
The Adventures of Lexie & Lolly
Toula Magi
Outskirts Press, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-4327-1533-5
40 Pages
“Rain, rain, go away; come again another day.
Little Lexie wants to play.” As a child I remember staring out the
window and repeating this rhyming message over and over because it
seemed that I had the most fun when playing outside. In What Can We
Do Next? by Toula Magi, a mother and the author of this book,
Lexie, the main character, looks wistfully out the window at her swing
set, knowing she is stuck inside because it is raining. However, this
young child uses her imagination to create a tiny imaginary friend whom
she names Lolly. When children read this book, or have their parents
read it to them, they will learn why Lexie chose this particular name
for her colorful friend.
Children, just like most writers, have great
imaginations that can take them anywhere, create characters, and provide
solutions to those “rainy days.” Lexie and her friend Lolly have a
wonderful fun-filled day, asking one another what they can do next. The
answer takes them on a hot-air balloon ride and other adventures that
are fun and exciting. When Lexie goes to bed that night, she thanks
Lolly for showing her that a rainy day doesn’t mean she can’t have fun.
This delightful book is filled with colorful
illustrations and age-appropriate conversations that will captivate the
minds of children. The author says that her own daughter was the
inspiration behind the idea as she watched her use her imagination while
at play. I think most parents can appreciate and relate to this. I
suggest that the next time your children have a rainy day that they sit
down and browse through the pages of What Can We Do Next?
I have no doubt that the pages will stimulate their imaginations and
chase away the boredom. There is a lesson presented in this book that,
if learned, involves temporarily putting aside the man-made toys and
gadgets that try to stifle the wondrous creativity of the minds of our
children. The imagination is a treasure that must be nurtured. This is
a “must purchase” book for all parents and caregivers of young
children.
Bettie Corbin
Tucker
For Independent Professional Book Reviewers
www.bookreviewers.org
October 29, 2008
