Published by Penguin Random House. Illustrated by Matt Myers, myerspaints.com.

Lily Leads the Way

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.

Download for teachers

Flag Fun and Facts

When you flip through the pages of Lily Leads the Way, sharp observers may notice that the flag flying from Lily’s mast changes throughout the story. International maritime signal flags are how ships and sailboats communicate important messages to shore or to other vessels when they are out on the water, especially regarding navigation and safety.

There are twenty-six signal flags—one for every letter of the alphabet. Here are some you will find in Lily Leads the Way. Use these descriptions to find out what Lily is saying to the other vessels in the book!

video

Inspired by Margi’s life in Duluth

Lily the little sailboat wants to get under the lift bridge, but there are too many other big, fast, and loooong boats. See the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge and more as Margi tells the true story behind the picture book story.