I Am Too Small to Go to School - Hardcover

Lauren Child is one of today's most successful talents in children's books. Her quirky illustrations are instantly recognisable and have won praise and recognition worldwide. She is the winner of the Smarties Gold Award for That Pesky Rat and winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal for I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato. Lauren has also created the hugely popular Clarice Bean series.

PreSchool-Grade 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
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