I am too absolutely small for school : featuring Charlie and Lola / Lauren Child.

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Publishers Weekly Review

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. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

School Library Journal Review

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 (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

PreS-Gr. 2. Readers familiar with Child's I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato 0 (2000) 0 and I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed0 (2001) will know that Lola has some fiercely held opinions, and that older brother Charlie has a way of coaxing her around to his point of view. In this case, the controversial topic is whether Lola will give formal education a try. The tousled youngster states her case with her usual Eloise-like panache: "I probably do not have time to go to school. I am too extremely busy doing important things at home." Charlie counters by pointing out the equally important things to be done at school, but in the end, his most successful ploy is an indirect one: Soren Lorenson, Lola's imaginary friend, may need moral support. The brother-sister dynamic here may be atypically sunny, but parents will certainly appreciate the siblings' tender, supportive relationship, and children will respond to the wild typography, colors, and patterns of Child's distinctive mixed-media artwork. --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2004 Booklist

Horn Book Review

Lola makes one excuse after another in hopes of avoiding going to school for the first time. Her patient older brother, Charlie, finally convinces Lola that she should accompany her invisible friend, Soren Lorensen, to school, as otherwise he will be too nervous to attend. Energetic mixed-media art and Lola's childlike reasoning distinguish this welcome entry in the first-day-of-school genre. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Book Review

The dynamic sibling duo of I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato (2000) is back for another engaging round of give-and-take. Plainly nervous at the prospect of starting school, little Lola declares that she doesn't need to count over ten or learn to read, won't wear a "schooliform," and doesn't feature eating lunch alone. Charlie artfully counters each objection: what if she needs treats for 11 elephants, or to read a bedtime story to an ogre--and, anyway, she can wear whatever she wants to school (well, not that alligator suit), and even take along her invisible companion, Soren Lorensen. Child's postmodern collages feature cut-out figures, patterned papers, and clipped photos in freewheeling compositions through which lines of text loop and wander; the effect is typically effervescent, matching the lively, real-sounding repartee. A fine way to banish those First Day jitters. (Picture book. 5-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.