The irrepressible Lulu returns in another book-loving story, superbly illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw. There is plenty here – Dad as primary carer and a girl who can switch between fairy and DIY expert effortlessly! Staff’s Best Children’s Books of 2010 |
What people are saying. . .
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School Library Journal, USA
The lovable African-American preschooler from Lola at the Library returns in this whimsical picture book. Lola and her daddy go to the library every Saturday to pick out books. The stories she reads with her family throughout the week lend inspiration to her playtime, stretching her imagination and physical limits. Lola becomes a fairy princess, a pilot flying to exotic places, a farmer, and even a "wild and wicked" monster. The simple and straightforward text is easy to read, and the bright acrylic illustrations are eye-catching close-ups of Lola absorbed in books and in play. This engaging depiction of a child's enthusiasm for being read to is an excellent choice for libraries. National Literacy Association The Guide to Literacy Resources Spring 2012 Delightful picture book featuring the irrepressible Lulu... Vibrant, exuberant illustrations really capture Lulu's excitement and pleasure as she shares a new story and pretends to be that character. A positive message about the power of books and stories to set the imagination free and let children believe they can be anything they want to be! This paperback edition comes with an audio CD of Lulu Loves Stories in English plus nearly 20 other languages as diverse as Welsh, French, Polish, Swahili, Urdu and Japanese . Once you've met Lulu, you and your children are sure to want to share more of her adventures. Luckily, there are a number of other 'Lulu' titles available. Click here to go to the National Literacy Association's website. IBBY LINK - Clive Barnes Anyone familiar with this team’s Lulu Loves Libraries will know what to expect from this picture book for the under 5s. Anna McQuinn, a Sure Start community librarian, draws on her experience of working with culturally diverse families in London and her own love of stories and books in a simple text that highlights the relationship between stories and a child’s imaginative play. As in their first book, Rosalind Beardshaw’s warm illustrations take a close child’s eye view of the way books can draw a child and carer or parent together. As with the paperback edition of Lulu Loves Libraries, an accompanying CD contains the story retold in 20 different languages, and there are hints on using it in different situations. For librarians and Early Years staff working with families from a variety of backgrounds, this will be a welcome innovation. For many years librarians have been aware that the provision of dual-language picture books has been a poor response to the needs of many families, since, as McQuinn’s notes point out, ‘at this young age, children can’t read – so dual-language books are not such an effective way of validating their home language. In addition, some parents speak but do not read their first language. So listening to the story and looking at the pictures is much more fun’. A simple idea that should make a lot of difference. Books for Keeps Lulu loves choosing books at the library and listening to stories told by her mum and dad. Each new story sparks her imaginative play the following day, and we are taken through a week of this from the first story on Saturday to the last one on a Friday night (learning the days of the week along the way)... The illustrative style is appealingly simple with the main characters depicted large scale in full colour double page spreads. Background detail is kept minimal so that it’s the key textual content that’s supported. Text and pictures work well for the age group aimed at with the text in a bold clear font. The size of the book also makes it easy to share with really young children. www.bookloons.com If you are a preschooler between two and five years of age I bet you'll like my book because then you can try doing what I do in the story. You'll see, making up story games is really fun! Horn Book Guide Reviews, USA 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. |
Curled up with a good kids book
This cute sequel to Lulu loves the Library shows what happens when the little girl gets home and her parents read her the books she has checked out of the library. Each night Lulu hears a new story, and the next day her play reflects what she heard… A delightful picture book, Lulu Loves Stories graphically illustrates how a child’s imagination can be sparked by a story – and make her play time much more interesting. The Reading Zone Librarians and teachers are all too aware of the importance of having multicultural faces in books to reflect our multicultural population and all too aware that, unfortunately, many of these have been worthy and somewhat dull. With the wonderful Lulu books, we have characters so exuberantly and joyously portrayed in words and pictures that the diversity is not what one first notices. If you have only just met Lulu, you must also seek out Lulu Loves the Library, which you would expect a librarian to recommend, but this second outing is even better! We have a Dad being a carer and, more importantly, the book sharer, and we have Lulu being swept away by her imagination. Inspired by the books she loves, she can imagine herself anything from a fairy to a DIY expert. So we have positive role models for families, for girls and for all readers. Lulu can convince us all that books and stories are absolutely the best thing in the world. On a purely practical note, I would also like to commend the publishers for the toddler-proof quality of the book's production and its perfect size for small hands to grasp. Kirkus Reviews USA Lola's daddy takes her to the library every Saturday, where she finds "excellent books," and every night her mommy or daddy reads them to her. The next day Lola acts out the story... The library books, the pretending and the incorporation of the days of the week work together as a simple and pleasing premise. Beardshaw's acrylic illustrations depict the multicultural kids and Lola's black family with childlike charm, while the title will have librarians, parents and booksellers smiling. Alert: The book will be an invitation for lap kids to follow Lola's lead—not such a bad thing. The Willesden Bookshop In this follow up to 'Lulu Loves the Library' , the young toddler's appetite for books is now such that it requires an extra visit to the library with her father each Saturday. Proud possessor of a library card, Lulu stocks up on new material to ensure a daily supply of bedtime stories for her parents to read to her. These fire her imagination to act out characters and situations, especially when playing with friends.. With its simple text and charming illustrations, the book is a further celebration of the power and shared joys of reading." Armadillo Magazine We know from Lulu’s earlier adventure (Lulu Loves the Library) that Lulu loves books... Appropriately, this book comes in two forms, a board book for the very youngest, and a paperback for the slightly older. An added attraction for the latter is the CD which accompanies it, with the story read in 20 different languages. The fuller, paperback, version takes us through the week, from Lulu’s visit to the library with Dad on Saturday topping and tailing her make-believe episodes. The illustrations are simple, funny and very child-friendly, embracing many typically childish imaginative episodes, and the possibility that some readers may have roots in other countries. The CD celebrates readers’ diversity, and was recorded by the author using adults who attend her library group with their children. It is also, of course a celebration of the importance of libraries, and their place in community life. The board book has a shorter, simpler text, and fewer illustrations, and fulfills its remit well. INIS Magazine, Spring 2010 Lulu is a librarian's dream. She comes to the library every Saturday with her Dad, who will read her the books of her choice later at home. Each day, Lulu becomes the characters in the stories she enjoys… This is a reflective story showing the close bond between Lulu and her Dad. we see a parent who takes time to play and read with his child. The illustrations are simple, soft-edged, with nicely subdued colour, offering positive images of difference throughout. The thoughtful attention to visual detail will not be wasted on the young. - Annie O Doherty |
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