I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato - by Lauren Child

A droll picture book about a fussy eater and her inventive brother's ways of getting her to eat. Lola won't eat peas, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, spaghetti, or you know what, or will she ... Winner of an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Seal Award, and high praise from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal.

(10.25" x 11.25" / 32 pages. Hdbk)

Reviews:

Lola is a VERY picky eater. Carrots are for rabbits. Peas are too small and too green. She won't touch potatoes or mushrooms, spaghetti, eggs or sausage...the list goes on and on. And, she absolutely will never not ever eat a tomato. Her big sister Charlie has got to give her dinner and decides "to play a good trick on her." Carrots become orange twiglets from Jupiter and Lola is so intrigued that she just has to try one. Peas turn into green drops from Greenland, mashed potatoes, cloud fluff from Mt Fuji. And though Lola would never touch a fish stick, she's willing to eat an ocean nibble since mermaids eat them all the time. Pretty soon, dinner is over and Lola has eaten everything, even a nice round red moonsquirter. You know, they're her favorite. Lauren Child has written a funny, witty, imaginative story, told in hip kid-speak, all picky eaters will identify with. Her busy, expressive illustrations, full of color and textures, compliment the text and will really hold your youngster's attention. This is a terrific book the whole family can enjoy and it might even get your picky eater to try something new.

---

My son loves Charlie and Lola, and so do I! This is a book I don't mind reading again and again. The characters are lovable, the writing is clever, and the illustrations are so creative! Lola is a picky eater, but Charlie uses his imagination and her's to convince Lola to eat all of the foods she refuses to eat. Whether you are a picky eater or not, this is a great investment!

---

Editorial Reviews:

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2

Child has created two likable, winsome siblings with spunk and imagination. Charlie, who has been asked to give his little sister dinner, narrates this delightful tale. Feeding Lola proves to be a difficult task because she, like many kids, is a fussy eater. She promptly lists the foods she absolutely will not eat, and Charlie cunningly uses a little reverse psychology. He introduces her to items that most certainly look like those on her "will not eat" list, but have unusual names such as, "orange twiglets from Jupiter" (carrots), "green drops from Greenland" (peas), and "ocean nibbles from the supermarket under the sea" (fish sticks). Despite Lola's initial disinclination, Charlie's creative scheme works. While this story is a bit predictable, the book is funny and clever enough for readers to overlook this minor flaw. Child's mixed-media artwork (primitive cartoon characters, photographs, fabric swatches, and wallpaper remnants) enhances the innocent tone of the book. The illustrations resemble a child's cut-and-paste collage and the text often dances across the pages in a variety of fonts. Even finicky youngsters will enjoy this tasty treat. -Holly T. Sneeringer, St. Mark School, Baltimore, MD [Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.]

Amazon.com

Lola is a very fussy eater. Carrots are for rabbits and peas are "too small and too green." One day, after rattling off her long list of despised foods, she ends with the vehement pronouncement, "And I absolutely will never not ever eat a tomato." Not convinced, Lola's older sister Charlie has an idea. She tells Lola that the orange things on the table are not carrots, but "orange twiglets from Jupiter" and peas are in fact "green drops from Greenland." Mashed potatoes, when pitched as "cloud fluff from the pointiest peak of Mount Fuji" suddenly seem appealing to Lola. And in the end, might she even eat a tomato?

Lauren Child's wacky, expressive sketches of Lola and Charlie (much like those in Clarice Bean, That's Me) are cut out and superimposed on all sorts of textures and patterns from wallpaper to wood. Fuzzy, enlarged photographs of bowls of peas, or fish sticks, or big carrots are pasted right on top to great effect. This funny, endearing look at how children's tastes can be based more on preconception than taste buds is sure to infuse levity into the daily dinner-table struggle. The author's dedication? "With love from Lauren / who is keen on Marmite / but would rather not eat a raisin." (Ages 3 to 8) --Karin Snelson