Wednesday 3 April 2013

Kidlit blog hop 13: Charlie and Lola



Welcome back to the Kid Lit Blog Hop #13 Folks

A few weeks ago Renee posted about how to review a picture book. I admit I hadn't really thought about it much because until a few weeks ago, Gigi 21 months was not real interested in reading an entire book. However, the tables have turned and we find ourselves reading books over and over and over and over, you get my point lol.

One of the criteria for what makes a great picture book, is the potential to have it read over and over without the parent going insane. Well, maybe it wasn't put quite like that, but that is how I am putting it.

  Which brings me to today's review of Charlie and Lola
 

 

For Christmas last year I put Charlie and Lola books on my daughter Christmas list. My husbands family take Christmas lists seriously, there is a website and everything lol, so when we got what we got two 5 book compilations and one single book we were delighted.

We kind of did things backwards though. We absolutely extremely ( lol that is how Lola speaks) very much love the cartoon. I love how Lola views the world and articulates it so extremely funnily in her own child like way.
So when it came to reading the books, we knew that Gigi already loved Charlie and Lola, and she now sits for extended periods, turning the pages herself, over and over.  See picture below.



Anyway back to my review. My favourite Charlie and Lola is :We are Extremely Good Recyclers.

Lola ask Charlie what recycling is because they have to recycle enough items in order to win a tree to plant in their school. Lola opens all the packets and bottles, so that she can have enough to get her tree. Charlie explains that is not what recycling is, and they go on one of their adventures into learning what recycling is.

The end of the book has an : I Really Ever So Definately Promise to Checklist: for ways that Lola will ever so definately try to recycle. Priceless. 

Gigi absolutely loves these books with their distinct illustrations and the use of actual material cut outs for the characters clothing. I enjoy them to, but this is what brings me to my point about books that have the ability to drive a parent mad.

The dialogue tags throughout the book are placed before the speaking. Eg paraphrased
Lola says, 'I will so ever so definately completely try to recycle Charlie'
Charlie says, ' that is great Lola,' etc etc

When you are reading this out loud for the tenth time a day, the dialogue tags are ever so completely extremely grating. lol

Other than that, we really love these books and they have such fun ways of teaching the precocious Lola ways of navigating her very funny world.

So that's all from me folks, end rant.

Now here's a shout out to my friend Jemima Pett who has been doing the A-Z challenge.
Pop on over to her blog to check out her reviews each day for the month of April, and be sure to enter her raffle copter below for some great middle grade reads. ( including yours truly lol)

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17 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness. We LOVE Charlie and Lola. "That's MY Book" is one we own and have read over and over and over and over. Yes, especially when you are tired, the dialogue can become ever so completely grating but once in while, we love the books. We haven't read this one. Great review as always and Gigi is absolutely adorable!

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    1. LOL Thanks so much for stopping by and I am off to your blog now, cheers Julie

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  2. We read that book last year for Earth Day - my kids really like Charlie and Lola too! Gigi is soooooo cute!! :D

    Now, as for "One of the criteria for what makes a great picture book, is the potential to have it read over and over without the parent going insane." - I love the way you paraphrased! lol

    Shall we expect another post office book review this time around? ;) I'm so bummed I couldn't nab one! Argh! Thanks for hosting the Kid Lit Blog Hop Julie.

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    1. So great to have you back Renee, we missed you. LOL. Hmm, yes you can expect another Post Office Book Review, this time I am going to try something different, we will see if it works, remember I am technology challenged, but I will enlist the techno nerd to help lol, stay tuned....

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  3. Hi, Julie,
    I'm not sure my book would be fitting for the younger kids although the protagonist is only eleven. Have a look-see and let me know what you think. Thanks.

    J.L. Campbell at Jamaican Kid Lit

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    1. Hi Joy
      It looks like a middle grade read and you have tackled a very difficult subject so well done. Best wishes and thanks for hopping along. Ps thanks re Gigi comment, we do love her to the moon and back.Cheers Julie

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  4. Forgot to add that Gigi is a cutie.

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  5. We have just borrowed this book from a friend to try before we buy. My daughter loves Charlie and Lola and we're definitely going to add this one to the collection :) I found you through the Kidlit bloghop.

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    1. Hi Catherine, thanks so much for stopping by and we will hop on over to Story Snug soon, cheers Julie

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  6. Would you believe I've never read a Charlie and Lola book? I've seen the show, but the books were never very popular at my store, meaning no one ever came asking about them, meaning I never had any reason to order any, meaning we never really had them!

    I like the point you made about how little things in children's books can make them a pain to read over and over and over. Unfortunately it's sometimes hard to tell what will drive you crazy until it's too late!

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    1. Hey Katie Thanks for stopping by, yes Charlie and Lola are huge in Australia so you can find them in every book shop. If you read one, tell me if they annoy you too, lol, we do love them, Cheers Julie

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  7. I have never read a Charlie and Lola book but I agree about the dialogue tags. With few exceptions, I like them after the dialogue not before. Nice review. Love the pictures!

    Sue from Kid Lit Reviews kid-lit-reviews.com

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  8. Hi Sue we are ever so extremely happy you stopped by ( said in manner of Lola). Take care Julie

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  9. I've never seen the Charlie and Lola books, but I could see dialogue tags getting irritating. Make sure you have some scotch tape at hand! (saying this from experience ;) ) Looks like Gigi's going to be looking at that book a lot.

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  10. LOL Thanks so much for stopping by, Yes I have the tape on hand. We already have several tears throughout the book...sigh, I guess i will need to invest in more. I hope you are enjoying the hop. Cheers Julie

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  11. Love the post, Julie! I for sure relate with you on "so -and-so said"s driving parents up the wall. I generally skip them when we read out loud. Somehow I haven't ever picked up a Charlie and Lola book. I will have to do that. Thanks again for hostessing!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Jaymie. Charlie and Lola are much loved. I hope you get a chance to see the cartoon too, it makes it all the more adorable. Cheers Julie

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