I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato (Charlie and Lola)
by Lauren Child

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Book Reviews of I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato (Charlie and Lola)

Book Review: Play Along with the Joke!
Summary: 5 Stars

Lola is a "small and very fussy" eater. Charlie is assigned by their parents to feed Lola.

Lola begins to expound her theories:

"carrots are for rabbits"

"peas are too small and too green"

Lola goes on to list peas, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, spaghetti, eggs, sausages, cauliflower, cabbage, baked beans, bananas, and oranges as banned items. She also notes her reservations about apples, rice, cheese, and fish sticks. "And I absolutely will never not ever eat a tomato." Sounds like peanut butter and jelly are coming up to me.

Then Charlie attacks directly by putting out some carrots. Lola looks at them and says, "Then why are those carrots there, Charlie?"

"Those are orange twiglets from Jupiter," says Charlie.

"Mmm, not bad," Lola replied, "and took another bite."

Charlie puts out peas and describes them as "green drops from Greenland" and Lola finds them "quite tasty."

Mashed potatoes become "cloud fluff from the pointiest peak of Mount Fuji," and Lola decides "I love to eat clouds."

Fish sticks become "ocean nibbles from the supermarket under the sea -- mermaids eat them all the time." Lola wants to know if she can have more.

Suddenly Lola turns the tables, "Charlie, will you pass me one of those?" Lola continued, "Yes, of course, moonsquirters are my favorite." "You didn't think they were tomatoes, did you, Charlie?"

Obviously, Lola knows that they are playing a game, and she likes it. The new game seems like more fun than laying down the law about what she will and won't eat. The game puts her in charge by letting her name the foods, as well as her usual game of saying what she will not eat. Charlie makes room for Lola to assert herself, and all is well.

With children, there is a tendency to treat them like subjects of a King or a Queen. Actually, they feel quite grown up at a young age and want to have some autonomy. Choice of foods can simply be a testing of limits. But all children would rather have fun, and can easily be distracted by making the potential confrontation into a game, instead. This book eloquently makes that point, and ensures many more peaceful hours in many households.

After you finish reading the story, you should think about where else you can kid your child out of her or his bad mood. Come to think of it, when will that approach work with adults as well?

Look for the potential to improve every communication!

Summary of I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato (Charlie and Lola)

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

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