The first of six picture-books in Polly Dunbar's Tilly and Friends series, Hello Tilly introduces six best friends - Tilly herself, Hector the pig, Pru the hen, Tumpty the elephant, Doodle the alligator, and Tiptoe the rabbit - who all live together in a yellow house. When Tiptoe interrupts Tilly's reading, an impromptu musical party ensues. Soon, the friends have tired themselves out, and want... a story!

With minimal text, and sweet illustrations that grab the eye, these books are ideally suited for the youngest reader-listeners. This first installment is really rather weak, with little in the way of an actual story, but I imagine that toddlers will still take to it, won over by the attractive visuals, and the many sound-words in the text. Fortunately, subsequent titles (like Happy Hector) offer a stronger narrative. ( )