Here Comes Lolo
by Niki Daly
Catalyst Press, 2020. Originally published in 2019 in Great Britain. 78 pages.
Review written November 27, 2021, from a library book
Starred Review
I read these beginning chapter books about Lolo out of order, and still love every one of them. This is the first one, where Lolo is introduced. She lives with Mama and Gogo (her grandmother) in South Africa. As all good beginning chapter books, the stories about Lolo reflect the interests of a young child beginning to learn to read. What’s fun about Lolo is that living in South Africa makes her concerns a little different than they might be if she were an American child — yet her personality and adventures are relatable.
There are four short stories in the book:
“A Gold Star and a Kiss for Lolo” is about her desire to win a gold star for reading from her teacher, but the setback that happens when she does.
In “Lolo’s Hat,” Lolo falls in love with a floppy hat in a shop window — but it isn’t there when she and her Mama go back for it.
“Lolo and the Lost Ring” begins like this:
Whenever Mama, Gogo, and Lolo went for a walk, Mama would look up and say, “I love the clouds against the blue sky.” Gogo would look around and say, “I love those trees,” or “What a nice dress that woman is wearing.” Stuff like that.
Lolo liked looking at the ground where flowers grow and where there were cracks to jump over on pavements.
And that’s where she found it: a ring lying in a crack in the pavement!
“Lolo and a Dog Called Hope” is about a dog that lives next door and is being mistreated. What should she do?
Lolo deals with small problems with flare — and with the help of Mama and Gogo.
Often with beginning chapter books, I read just one to get the idea of the series. But with Lolo, I wanted to read them all.
Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Childrens_Fiction/here_comes_lolo
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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.
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