Product Description

Although Lola agrees with her brother that it would be useful to learn how to write, read and count, she can't go to school because her invisible friend's too nervous to go. This title in the "Charlie and Lola" series deals sympathetically with children's fears surrounding the first day at school. (20050801)

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18860 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

Review

Child gives a simple story about starting school extra layers of complexity and humour.

(Books for Keeps )

Child is the Tracey Emin of illustration for young children: provocative, fearless, funny, but full of spirit and warmth.

(The Independent )

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Customer Reviews

Another delight from Lauren Child
Few of the books I give to children at the primary school where I work to have a look at have proved as popular as Lauren Child's, which stand out because of the wonderfully creative illustrations and the wit of the dialogue.

A return of Charlie and Lola from 'I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato' (still the best in the series) is welcome with Charlie trying to persuade Lola of the worthwhile-ness of going to school and conquering all-too-common fears, with varying degrees of success. A good one for a parent or teacher faced with that situation, though perhaps not all Charlie's answers are so convincing...

Usually popular with children from Reception to Year 4 (5-8 years old) or perhaps older children still wary about longer books. Most grown-ups will enjoy reading it.

School Starts Here!
I love this book, never mind my children! This book is great, whether your child is just about to start school or whether they are reflecting in their school experiences to date. Lola, the new starter does not want to go to school and her ever so supportive brother seems to have an answer for everything to combat her fears! The book is so multi-faceted, as it lends itself to all manners of the curriculum, whether, literacy;numeracy;art or PSHE. We just love the look of the book and how every time we read it we are greeted with something new!

This book is too absolutely cute for words
Generally just on the right side of twee, the tremendously fashionable Lauren Child follows up picky eating and bedtime routines with the popular theme of starting school. This was back in the old days, before the TV show, when Child was still writing the stories herself. Now she just 'originates' them (and, for this parent at least, the idiosyncracies of language are starting to wear dangerously thin...)

Too Small for School is a lovely book, though. Once you get past that obligatory opening paragraph ('I have this little sister Lola...) which always makes my daughter roll her eyes in annoyance, it's a non-stop collage-fest with the usual wacky features. The Charlie and Lola books always encourage interaction - here there are photos of biscuits (for your child to choose their favourite), and numbered fingers and toes (bound to get most children counting their own)... even Japanese fridge magnets (that my daughter is thrilled to recognise from Mummy's half-baked attempts at learning the language). This book is cooler than cool.

It's frightfully middle class, of course, with Charlie and Lola attending a hip and happening school where there's no such thing as a 'schooliform' (not much help for all those children forced to wear regulation grey, of course). Lola's invisible friend Soren Lorenson makes an 'appearance' though (well, sort of) to great effect (with even a shadowy lunch box on his side of the table). It's this kind of cutesy touch that makes Lauren Child the star she is. On the downside, though, I was at a restaurant the other day, and they'd inserted a completely gratuitous 'absolutely' into the kids' menu (well, it was 'absolutley', actually, which is even worse). Lauren Child might just have a lot to answer for!