Starred Review for Publishers Weekly (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW said of this story in which a clever boy cajoles his fussy sister into eating foods she says she hates, "Youngsters will never <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">not ever pass up a second helping of this appetizing fare." Ages 4-8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Oct.)

Horn Book (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2005)

In this flip-over book, animals are shown during day, or--flip the book--nighttime activities. Each page features a number from one to ten, with that many animals on the page (e.g., for daytime number two, two porcupines sleep in a tree that two bear cubs climb). Minimal singsongy rhyming text accompanies the realistically portrayed creatures.

Kirkus Reviews

<p>Poster child for Picky Eaters of the World, Lola declares that she won't touch carrots, peas, potatoes, fish sticks, or, most especially, tomatoes, until her brother Charlie sets her straight. Those aren't carrots, they're orange twiglets from Jupiter; not peas, but green drops that fell from the sky in Greenland; not mashed potatoes, but cloud fluff. Intrigued, Lola tries a nibble or two, and by the end she's even asking for some round, red "moonsquirters." Child (Clarice Bean, That's Me!, 1999) lays clipped, hand-tinted photos of food, and drawn, cut-out cartoon children over backgrounds of fabric, patterned paper, and brightly colored monochrome in various combinations. The effect is cleverly postmodern but not busy, with plenty of open space and bite-sized blocks or wriggles of text. Funny bits of design will provoke a giggle: a smiling pea in the middle of a bowl of them or a Martian sharing the carrots. Would the subterfuge work in real life? Perhaps not, but even younger readers who find Lola's stance perfectly reasonable will join her in this engagingly playful head game. (Picture book. 5-8)</p>

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-Child has created two likable, winsome siblings with spunk and imagination. Charlie, who has been asked to give his little sister dinner, narrates this delightful tale. Feeding Lola proves to be a difficult task because she, like many kids, is a fussy eater. She promptly lists the foods she absolutely will not eat, and Charlie cunningly uses a little reverse psychology. He introduces her to items that most certainly look like those on her "will not eat" list, but have unusual names such as, "orange twiglets from Jupiter" (carrots), "green drops from Greenland" (peas), and "ocean nibbles from the supermarket under the sea" (fish sticks). Despite Lola's initial disinclination, Charlie's creative scheme works. While this story is a bit predictable, the book is funny and clever enough for readers to overlook this minor flaw. Child's mixed-media artwork (primitive cartoon characters, photographs, fabric swatches, and wallpaper remnants) enhances the innocent tone of the book. The illustrations resemble a child's cut-and-paste collage and the text often dances across the pages in a variety of fonts. Even finicky youngsters will enjoy this tasty treat.-Holly T. Sneeringer, St. Mark School, Baltimore, MD Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.