I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato

I think I'm a little biased to this book being that I grew up watching Charlie and Lola and having these books read to me. Let me just start by saying, I LOVE the illustrations in these books and think that the simple, almost color-book-style captures the facial expressions and moods of the two little girls perfectly, all the while keeping the reader drawn in. The book tells a story I think every kid can relate to, and the humor comes from the way that Lola is so much like every other child. I love these books and love reading them to children, and would totally recommend them for a read-aloud.

Lola, Charlie's little sister, does not have an appetite for many foods - that is until Charlie explains that these foods are not what they seem. The orange sticks that Lola believes to be carrots are really twiglets from Jupiter, and the little green balls are not peas but greendrops from Greenland. As Charlie transforms all of the foods that Lola dislikes into fun and delicious new treats, will he ever be able to convince her to eat a tomato?

If you are a fan of Charlie and Lola, you will love this book! Their big brother/little sister dynamic is back as Charlie helps Lola to see that the foods she claims not to like may actually be delightful. Lauren Child's remarkable collage technique of fusing hand-drawn characters and real-life show more props creates a wondrous amalgam that brings the characters to life. show less

This book is a wonderful motivator for picky eaters. Charlie convinces his little sister Lola to eat different foods by changing what they are. He convinces her that carrots are orange twiglets from Jupiter, fish sticks are from an underwater super market, and much more. One type of food that Lola absolutely refuses to eat is tomatoes, but after Lola eats everything else, she ends up asking for them. Charlie is so surprised that he asks is she really wants them, and Lola replies, “Yes, of course, moonsquirters are my favorite.” What I like most about this book is the twist ending because Lola takes what she is eating into her own hands. What I find interesting about this book is the fact that all of the food is actual photographs, show more which adds a fun twist to the illustrations. Overall, a great book to encourage students to try new things. show less

This book is a great read for those picky eaters out there! The author shows a brother and sister talking about how the sister does not like many things! But, the brother tricks her into eating them! It is funny how the sister was so sure she hated all the healthy things she listed, but she ended up enjoying them when she thought she was eating something different. The artwork is also really appealing to the eye and uses unique artwork, shapes, and real pictures certain objects. It helps to make the book seem more real to the child I think since they can easily recognize the objects like the real rabbit the artist puts in a midst the artwork. I think a parent would love to read this to their children to learn to love veggies! But, it show more can also be amusing and useful to a teacher. show less

Although I read this book growing up so I may be biased, I think this is a really fun, cute book for elementary schoolers. There is so much humor even just in the main message of the book. Charlie tries to get his picky little sister to eat foods that she doesn't want to eat. In order to do this he makes up stories about the foods to make her interested in eating them. Not only is this relatable for a lot of picky eaters and kids, but it's also relatable for parents trying to get their kids to eat healthy. This story is full of a creative imagination and imagery. The pictures are very interesting because they appear to be half drawn and half cut out from a magazine. I was also very fascinated by the imagery. Lauren Child also included show more textual features, like making certain words bigger or a different font to make them stand out. This made it more interesting to read. Charlie is full of strategic ways to make Lola excited to eat her veggies. In the end, Lola ends up enjoying a lot of these foods which, first of all, shows that it's funny how stigmas about veggies can immediately deter someone from eating them, and also it encourages kids to try different foods before you refuse to eat them because you might actually like them. show less

A humorous take on dinner from the perspective of an older brother trying to feed his picky sister by making up fantastical stories for common foods. The characters, Charlie and Lola, feel genuine in their dialogue and behavior. The book has a great look to it, employing mixed media collage and a creative use of text

In my opinion, this is a great book! "I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato" is told from Charlie's perspective which helps readers better connect to the friendly brother/sister relationship. The illustrations are amazing as they use mixed media (real life pictures and drawing on top of one another) to better accompany the text while entertaining the reader. The illustrator does a great job incorporating what the food really is into a fun adventurous story through bright colors and detailed images. The writing is written to grab the readers attention through different patterns, sizes and fonts to emphasize words. For example, on the page with aliens and outer space, the text is in wiggles, making it fun to look at and read. Not only does show more the story engage readers imagination but also engages learning key words through repetition, where the name of the different types of food are constantly repeated during the story, which can also help readers in predicting what will happen next. The language in the story is accurate in that the dialogue is what would be expected between a typical brother and sister relationship. This book helps push readers out of their comfort zone in trying new things. Sometimes a little imagination can do wonders in opening up our minds to new possibilities and a whole new perspective on things. show less