I bought this book for my daughter when she was 2, and she used to love it being read to her... Now she is 6 and loves reading it herself! Charlie and Lola are endearing characters, and this book shines as one of the most memorable examples.

The story itself is simple (warning - spoiler alert!!!!). Lola will not eat lots of foods, but Charlie persuades her to by telling her they are actually other (more exciting) foods - for example ("These are not peas, they are green drops from Greenland"). The story is not only entertaining, but creative and great for sparking young imaginations (what WOULD a supermarket under the sea be like?!) without inhibiting them with adult boundaries.

Yes, Lauren Child does dice with danger when she has Lola refusing her dinner (will my child be inspired to do the same -aaargh!) but I have had no such problem and a story of a perfect child who ate all their vegetables would hardly allow for the same creative storyline, now, would it?!

The illustrations for this book are super too, as usual. There is lots going on on each page, a great use of colour and pattern, and very appealing to adults and children alike. I have found that my baby loves looking for things in the pictures (where are the... tomatoes? ... "there they are!") as much as my older daughter loves following the story through combination of words and illustrations. It makes reading and sharing books as a family fun, and that is why I highly recommend this book.