I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato (Charlie and Lola Series)
The creator of the acclaimed CLARICE BEAN, THAT'S ME cooks up a droll and ingenious treat for picky eaters and the people who love them.\ 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 they are cloud fluff from the pointiest peak of Mount Fuji). There are many, many things Lola absolutely will not eat, including—and...
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Lauren Child, creator of the beloved Clarice Bean, That's Me cooks up a delectable new picture book treat. In this quirky, clever, fantastically funny story, Charlie uses his imagination to convince his little sister Lola -- who is a very fussy eater -- to eat. She won't eat her carrots -- until Charlie reveals that they are really "orange twiglets from Jupiter." She won't eat her mashed potatoes -- until Charlie explains they are "cloud fluff from the pointiest peak of Mount Fuji." And Lola will never -- not ever -- eat a tomato. Or will she? Children (and parents!) will recognize determined young Lola and cheer for inventive Charlie in this fabulous smorgasbord of fun!Publishers WeeklyChild (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 and--the most dreaded--tomatoes, 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 never--not ever--pass up a second helping. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
\ Publishers Weekly\ - Publisher's 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 and--the most dreaded--tomatoes, 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 never--not ever--pass up a second helping. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\ \ \ \ \ Publishers WeeklyPW called this "a delectable variation on the picky-eater-themed tale. Youngsters will never-not ever-pass up a second helping." Also starring Charlie and Lola: I Am Too Absolutely Small for School (0-7636-2887-5); I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed (0-7636-2970-7). Ages 4-8. (Oct.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.\ \ \ Children's LiteratureCharlie's problem with his little sister Lola is a familiar one. When he has to give her dinner, she has a reason for not eating anything he offers, especially tomatoes. Charlie's marvelous imagination builds a tale around each food that lures her into eating it, from "orange twiglets from Jupiter" better known as carrots to "cloud fluff from Mount Fuji," or mashed potatoes. Our smiles grow even broader as Lola makes her own sly imaginative leap into the dreadful tomatoes. The illustrations are equally imaginative in their combining of sketchily simple cut paper children, photographed food, and patterned backgrounds. There is sense of "the real thing," the world as youngsters might perceive it, about the simple but psychologically sound rendering of the children with the few props. Even the letters of the text join in the fun by changing character for emphasis or being set in meandering lines for rhythmic appeal. This might even change the mind of a really picky eater with a sense of humor. 2000, Candlewick Press, $15.99. Ages 3 to 8. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz\ \ \ \ \ School Library JournalPreS-Gr 2-Child has created two likable, winsome siblings with spunk and imagination. Charlie, who has been asked to give his little sister dinner, narrates this delightful tale. Feeding Lola proves to be a difficult task because she, like many kids, is a fussy eater. She promptly lists the foods she absolutely will not eat, and Charlie cunningly uses a little reverse psychology. He introduces her to items that most certainly look like those on her "will not eat" list, but have unusual names such as, "orange twiglets from Jupiter" (carrots), "green drops from Greenland" (peas), and "ocean nibbles from the supermarket under the sea" (fish sticks). Despite Lola's initial disinclination, Charlie's creative scheme works. While this story is a bit predictable, the book is funny and clever enough for readers to overlook this minor flaw. Child's mixed-media artwork (primitive cartoon characters, photographs, fabric swatches, and wallpaper remnants) enhances the innocent tone of the book. The illustrations resemble a child's cut-and-paste collage and the text often dances across the pages in a variety of fonts. Even finicky youngsters will enjoy this tasty treat.-Holly T. Sneeringer, St. Mark School, Baltimore, MD Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\ \ \ \ \ Kirkus ReviewsPoster child for Picky Eaters of the World, Lola declares that she won't touch carrots, peas, potatoes, fish sticks, or, most especially, tomatoes, until her brother Charlie sets her straight. Those aren't carrots, they're orange twiglets from Jupiter; not peas, but green drops that fell from the sky in Greenland; not mashed potatoes, but cloud fluff. Intrigued, Lola tries a nibble or two, and by the end she's even asking for some round, red "moonsquirters." Child (Clarice Bean, That's Me!, 1999) lays clipped, handtinted photos of food, and drawn, cutout cartoon children over backgrounds of fabric, patterned paper, and brightly colored monochrome in various combinations. The effect is cleverly postmodern but not busy, with plenty of open space and bitesized blocks or wriggles of text. Funny bits of design will provoke a giggle: a smiling pea in the middle of a bowl of them or a Martian sharing the carrots. Would the subterfuge work in real life? Perhaps not, but even younger readers who find Lola's stance perfectly reasonable will join her in this engagingly playful head game. (Picture book. 58)\ \
