Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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 andÄthe most dreadedÄtomatoes, 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 neverÄnot everÄpass up a second helping. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-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 (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Charlie convinces his sister Lola to eat dinner by pretending that each type of food is something new and unusual: carrots are orange twiglets from Jupiter, potatoes are cloud fluff, and peas are green drops from Greenland. Lola eventually joins in by offering Charlie a moonsquirter (tomato). Witty mixed-media illustrations enliven this clever celebration of imagination and ingenuity. From HORN BOOK Spring 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Poster 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, hand-tinted photos of food, and drawn, cut-out 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 bite-sized 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. 5-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
