Good Books For Young Souls: LAUREN CHILD, POST #2

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

LAUREN CHILD, POST #2

MEET CHARLIE AND LOLA: "THEY'RE EVERYCHILD"

"I always wanted a brother, although I doubt he would have been as nice as Charlie. I made him seven because it is one of my favorite ages. I never think of Lola as precocious and certainly not brat-ish - she is one of those children who is just very curious and has quite a strong sense of self. Lots of four-year-olds are like her. There is a retro feel to the whole Charlie and Lola world; the subject is simple and always about the tiny things in life. Tiny things, which can seem very big when you are four or seven."

- Lauren Child

Each one of Lauren Child's Charlie and Lola books starts, "I have a little sister, Lola. She is small and very funny" (she's four and she drinks pink milk!) Who can resist that?? According to Child, this sibling pair is "everychild - their stories talk about problems most children can relate to." In each story, we find patient Charlie in the predicament of having to come up with inventive ways of persuading Lola to try new food, go to bed, or see the importance of going to school. The character of Lola is based on a little girl Child observed on a train while she was travelling in Denmark.

If you've read any other Lauren Child books (see yesterday's post), you'll immediately recognize her style: the witty humor and dialogue, mixed media illustrations, and text that wanders across the page.

THE ORIGINAL BOOKS that started it all (be sure not to miss these!):
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato

I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato (Charlie and Lola)

I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed

I Am Too Absolutely Small for School

Slightly Invisible, Child's newest "original": This fourth tale was inspired by a boy who asked Child, "Have you ever thought about writing a book where Charlie actually gets annoyed with Lola?", this is the story of Charlie's attempts to play on his own with his friend Marv - and Lola's efforts to engage them.

(My son and daughter, David and Mary, were a lot like Charlie and Lola. David was definitely patient with his sister, although Mary wasn't quite as energetic or persistent as Lola... when one of them had a friend over - and then permanently when we added Little Brother Jonny into the mix - they had to adapt to the dynamic that came with being three, like in SLIGHTLY INVISIBLE!)

"Oh," says Lola. "Would you maybe like to have a tea party instead?"

The four original books by this prolific British children's book author/illustrator were adapted as a cartoon television series in 2005 in Britain. The episodes (now available on DVD) were also shown on Playhouse Disney here in the U.S. and have been as popular with parents as with their kids. The characters, voiced by children with adorable British accents, are endearing. Her titles are hilarious...