Charlie and Lola's I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato Pop-Up [Hardcover]

Lauren Child (Author, Illustrator), Corina Fletcher (Designer)

Book Description

Release date: September 26, 2007 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years | Series: Charlie and Lola

The Kate Greenaway Medal winner is now available in a vibrant pop-up edition, featuring ten pop-up scenes.

Lola is a fussy eater. A very fussy eater. She won’t eat her carrots (until big brother Charlie reveals that they are really orange twiglets from Jupiter). She won’t eat her mashed potatoes (until Charlie explains that they are cloud fluff from the pointiest peak of Mount Fuji). There are many, many things Lola absolutely will not eat, including — and especially — tomatoes. Or will she? Kate Greenaway Medalist Lauren Child cooks up a witty treat for picky eaters and the people who love them.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Lola is a very fussy eater. Carrots are for rabbits and peas are "too small and too green." One day, after rattling off her long list of despised foods, she ends with the vehement pronouncement, "And I absolutely will never not ever eat a tomato." Not convinced, Lola's older sister Charlie has an idea. She tells Lola that the orange things on the table are not carrots, but "orange twiglets from Jupiter" and peas are in fact "green drops from Greenland." Mashed potatoes, when pitched as "cloud fluff from the pointiest peak of Mount Fuji" suddenly seem appealing to Lola. And in the end, might she even eat a tomato?

Lauren Child's wacky, expressive sketches of Lola and Charlie (much like those in Clarice Bean, That's Me) are cut out and superimposed on all sorts of textures and patterns from wallpaper to wood. Fuzzy, enlarged photographs of bowls of peas, or fish sticks, or big carrots are pasted right on top to great effect. This funny, endearing look at how children's tastes can be based more on preconception than taste buds is sure to infuse levity into the daily dinner-table struggle. The author's dedication? "With love from Lauren / who is keen on Marmite / but would rather not eat a raisin." (Ages 3 to 8) --Karin Snelson --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Child (Clarice Bean, That's Me) here serves up a delectable variation on the picky-eater-themed tale. Charlie's parents give him the formidable task of feeding dinner to his fussy younger sister, Lola. The clever boy cajoles his sibling into eating foods that she insists "I do not eat." The girl lists such forbidden fruits as carrots, peas, potatoes, fish sticks andAthe most dreadedAtomatoes, all of which her brother is dishing up for the meal. "These are not carrots. These are orange twiglets from Jupiter," maintains Charlie when Lola turns up her nose. He devises similarly tempting pseudonyms for other edibles: peas are rare "green drops" from Greenland that fall from the sky; mashed potatoes are cloud fluff from "the pointiest peak of Mount Fuji." A playful arrangement of type in a variety of fonts and sizes combined with mixed-media art that overlays photos on fanciful, childlike drawings provide a feast for young readers' eyes and mimic the boy's upbeat attitude. Finally, Lola herself follows her brother's example and asks him to pass the "moonsquirters my favorite," otherwise known as guess what? Apt not to be satiated with one serving of this appetizing fare, youngsters will neverAnot everApass up a second helping. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 16 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; Pop edition (September 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763637084
• ISBN-13: 978-0763637088
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 0.9 x 9.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #754,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lauren Child is the multi-talented prize-winning creator of the characters Charlie and Lola, Clarice Bean and Hubert Horatio Bobton-Trent. She has won the Smarties Gold Award, Smarties Bronze Award, Kate Greenaway Medal and been shortlisted for the Children's Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. Lauren lives in London.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great addition to your child's "library"! June 28, 2001

By Gowie

Format:Hardcover

What a cute story! Charlie is in charge of little sister Lola and decides to play a trick on her. With Charlie giving silly names to foods that Lola claims she doesn't like, Lola plays along and tastes foods she has insisted she will never, ever eat. My 6-1/2 year old loves this book; it's a bit too old for my almost 3-year old.

What I like best about this book are the real photographs of the foods (peas, carrots, fish sticks, etc.) that are incorporated into the fun cartoon illustrations.

This is a engaging, slightly offbeat story which makes it stand out from the zillions of other children's books out there.

34 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Yummy September 21, 2000

By Roz Levine

Format:Hardcover

Lola is a VERY picky eater. Carrots are for rabbits. Peas are too small and too green. She won't touch potatoes or mushrooms, spaghetti, eggs or sausage...the list goes on and on. And, she absolutely will never not ever eat a tomato. Her big sister Charlie has got to give her dinner and decides "to play a good trick on her." Carrots become orange twiglets from Jupiter and Lola is so intrigued that she just has to try one. Peas turn into green drops from Greenland, mashed potatoes, cloud fluff from Mt Fuji. And though Lola would never touch a fish stick, she's willing to eat an ocean nibble since mermaids eat them all the time. Pretty soon, dinner is over and Lola has eaten everything, even a nice round red moonsquirter. You know, they're her favorite. Lauren Child has written a funny, witty, imaginative story, told in hip kid-speak, all picky eaters will identify with. Her busy, expressive illustrations, full of color and textures, compliment the text and will really hold your youngster's attention. This is a terrific book the whole family can enjoy and it might even get your picky eater to try something new.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars For fussy eaters everywhere September 11, 2000

By Xeneri

Format:Hardcover

Ok, I was a fussy eater. I admit it. And maybe if this book had been around when I was a kid, my parents would have had an easier time. Lola has a long list of foods she won't eat but some creative thinking from her older sister changes all that.

The idea is great but it is the colorful illustrations that I love. The figures are cut outs that are placed ingeniously on all kinds of bacgrounds, lending texture and vibrance to the story. I'm definately giving this book to all the fussy eaters I know. Very imaginative and well done.