Book Review: Lilah Loves Life

Reviewed by Jaylynn Korrell

An inspiring picture book full of gratitude and imagination to help kids see the gift of every day

The options for what you can do in one day are limitless. At least Lilah, the main character in Brian Sullivan’s latest book, thinks so. 

In Lilah Loves Life, we follow a little girl who has big goals for the day and finds immense joy in coming up with and completing each one.With his granddaughter as his inspiration, Brian Sullivan has created a children’s book based on gratitude and imagination that will bring a little light to everyone who reads it. 

Lilah wakes up on a day just like any other with a smile on her face and a feeling of excitement for what’s to come. It doesn’t take her long to come up with some awesome ideas for how she’d like to spend her time. She manages to make the absolute most out of her day by utilizing the things around her, getting out into nature, and using her imagination to the best of her abilities. Lilah redefines what a boring day at home is supposed to be and brings to life all the potential that each day holds.

There’s a theme of gratitude that children can learn from with Lilah Loves Life. From the moment she opens her eyes in the morning, she acknowledges the gift she’s been given to see another day. And she certainly doesn’t plan on wasting such an amazing gift. 

Her mind races at the thought of what to do on this ordinary day to make it more special, and with each activity she can’t help but remember how lucky she is to be alive. I love her grateful spirit and the excitement she radiates at each new activity she chooses to do. It’s her openness to the day and her intent on making it special that I think will be the biggest takeaway for children and adults.

Sullivan does an excellent job of showcasing how imagination can add a little pizzaz to even the simplest activities. Lilah uses her imagination to take fun activities and make them even more so. While blowing bubbles, she imagines fairies living inside of them and sprinkling fairy dust over all the trees and houses in her neighborhood. During a game of hopscotch, she imagines she is light on her feet like a ballerina in a big show. Lilah amplifies her fun with a positive attitude and creates an even more exciting reading experience in the process.

Thanks to the vibrant and colorful illustrations, Lilah pops off the page in this story, as do her surroundings. These pages are filled with exciting visualizations of Sullivan’s positive story.  The animals look fun and affectionate, the food looks good enough for kids to wish they were eating it too, and Lilah herself looks like a friendly face that I think kids will gravitate toward. Mixed with Sullivan’s writing, Lilah’s experiences will certainly draw inspiration for children to imitate themselves.

Sullivan’s book showcases how children can have fun enjoying the simple things in life like eating breakfast, catching butterflies, and using their imagination. Lilah is a perfect example of how much joy there is to be had in an ordinary day and how having the right attitude is often the key to unlocking that joy. Children could use this book as inspiration. On days that seem like there’s nothing to do at home, they can ask themselves “what would Lilah do?” and quickly come up with a few fun solutions.

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