Lola Loves Stories

June 28, 2010
In Lola at the Library (2006), readers learned that bibliophilic Lola and her mother travel to the library every Tuesday. Turns out one trip a week isn't enough: every Saturday, Lola and her father pick out library books, which then become the inspiration for pretend play the rest of the week. "Tuesday night Lola's mommy reads a story about fierce tigers. The next day Lola chases her friend Orla all over the jungle" (actually a backyard that the two girls have stocked with stuffed animals). McQuinn and Beardshaw keep their young African-American heroine firmly rooted in the real world, and while the sturdy characterizations and cheery, saturated acrylic colors are never less than genial, the literalness starts to feel a bit ho-hum—it's almost like reading a recipe book for "Let's Pretend." A nod to Where the Wild Things Are in the final pages (it's the last book Lola and her father read) may remind readers all too well of what a real flight of fancy looks like. Ages 2–5.

January 1, 2011
In this companion to Lola at the Library, Lola checks out books on Saturdays. Each day thereafter her parents read to her, and the stories inspire Lola as she plays: she becomes a princess, an adventurer, a tiger, etc. McQuinn's straightforward text is ideal for group sharing. Beardshaw's round-edged acrylic illustrations effectively depict a child's real world--and her imaginary ones.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)