[.ca] I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato (ISBN 0763621803)

From Amazon.com:
Lola is a very fussy eater. Carrots are for rabbits and peas are "too small and too green." One day, after rattling off her long list of despised foods, she ends with the vehement pronouncement, "And I absolutely will never not ever eat a tomato." Not convinced, Lola's older sister Charlie has an idea. She tells Lola that the orange things on the table are not carrots, but "orange twiglets from Jupiter" and peas are in fact "green drops from Greenland." Mashed potatoes, when pitched as "cloud fluff from the pointiest peak of Mount Fuji" suddenly seem appealing to Lola. And in the end, might she even eat a tomato? 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

This book is magic!:
Thanks to the mealtime antics of Charlie and Lola, my kids now ask every day if they can eat carrots, tomatoes, potatoes and peas. It's magic! The books' pictures, typesetting and storyline are all fantastic, whether you are a child or adult. This and 'My Uncle is a Hunkle', also by Lauren Child, became instant favourites with the pre-schoolers and the adults the minute they entered our house.

Play Along with the Joke!:
Many young children don't like tomatoes. Some retain that distaste into adulthood. This story shows that stated fussiness about food can simply be a way of getting attention. Parents: Pay attention to this story! The colorful collages of photographs and childlike drawings bring excitement and freshness to the story. 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!

A Perfect Book to Share With Your Fussy Eater:
"I have this little sister, Lola. She is small and very funny" These opening lines set the sweet and gentle tone for a tale about two sisters. One (Lola) with a very long list of foods she will not eat, and the other (Charlie) with the task of feeding dinner to her fussy little sister. It could be a recipe for disaster -- I'm certain this situation would have played out quite differently with me and MY little sister -- but Charlie's creativity and sense of fun save the day. My seven-year old fussy eater nearly fell out of his chair laughing when we read this book. He clearly identified with, and enjoyed, Lola and her reasoning (for example, peas are "too small" and "too green"). While I'm pretty sure my son will not change his eating habits because of this story, it did give him a sense that he is not alone in the world with his funky tastes while reinforcing the idea that his tastes may change. Great story, cute illustrations, good lesson.

Hate tomatoes in Florida:
I love this book. It is silly and keeps our daughters attention. She is 3 and loves it!!!

Great addition to your child's "library"!:
What a cute story! Charlie is in charge of little sister Lola and decides to play a trick on her. With Charlie giving silly names to foods that Lola claims she doesn't like, Lola plays along and tastes foods she has insisted she will never, ever eat. My 6-1/2 year old loves this book; it's a bit too old for my almost 3-year old. What I like best about this book are the real photographs of the foods (peas, carrots, fish sticks, etc.) that are incorporated into the fun cartoon illustrations. This is a engaging, slightly offbeat story which makes it stand out from the zillions of other children's books out there.