I Am Too Absolutely Small for School (Charlie and Lola)

Favorite characters help ease the transition back to school (or, for newcomers, through the classroom door). Siblings Lola and Charlie (first introduced in I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato) return in I Am Too Absolutely Small for School by Lauren Child. Charlie must convince Lola to give school a chance, though she is full of reasons why she doesn't need it: "I don't need to learn up to one hundred. I already know up to ten, and that is plenty." Per usual, Charlie works his big brother magic as Child's collages delight the eye. Copyright 2004 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2—The endearing siblings who first appeared in I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato (Candlewick, 2000) return with equally satisfying results. This time, little sister Lola has decided that while her parents think she is "nearly almost big enough to go to school," she is "absolutely not BIG." Charlie, the narrator, puts forth numerous sound reasons for going to school that Lola counters with her own unique logic: "I say- If you know how to write, you can send cards to people you like.' Lola says, I like to talk on the telephone. It's more friendly and straightaway.'" Charlie eventually comes up with a reason Lola cannot refute-her invisible friend is starting school and will be lonely without her-and she embarks on her educational career. The children's relationship is refreshingly noncombative, with Charlie as the protective and affectionate big brother who is appreciative of, rather than annoyed by, his sister's quirkiness. Incorporating photos, fabric, and appealingly childlike cartoon renderings of the siblings, the mixed-media illustrations are a visual treat of color and texture. This is a winner either as a read-aloud or for independent perusal.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

This is a winner either as a read-aloud or for independent perusal.
—School Library Journal (starred review)