New Book: Slightly Invisible featuring Charlie and Lola by Lauren Child

“I have this little sister, Lola.

She is small and very funny.

She always wants to know what

I am up to, and she always

wants to do what I am doing.

She NEVER wants to be

anywhere without me.”

Charlie and Marv want to have adventures on their own. They are fed up with Lola interrupting their imaginary play. They want to catch the most STRANGE and terrifyingly tricky creature. Therefore they create an “invisibility potion” made from pink milk, a tiny drop of banana, and a secret INVISIBLE INGREDIENT. While Marv and Charlie sail twice around the world, they leave the potion in the fridge, allowing Lola and Soren Lorensen to drink it. They return from the trip for a snack only to realize that the potion had already been drunk. Lola had a small sip but Soren Lorensen had mUcH moRe. From this point on, Soren is “hidden” on each page. Finding Soren Lorensen becomes a fun and interactive activity, keeping the child engaged throughout the rest of the book. At this point, Charlie and Marv look to Lola and Soren Lorensen to help them find the most STRANGE and terrifyingly tricky creature.

The adventures of Soren Lorensen, Lola, Charlie, and Marv are enhanced through the unique illustration style and moving text. Lauren Child uses a combination of real and drawn pictures through out the book. On one page this could include using different patterns to create the background and object cut outs in the foreground,

while on the next it could be the opposite. Along with the images the text is inserted in a moving format. The reader may actually have to move the book in order to follow the storyline. While this may be frustrating to an adult reader, it adds to the adventurous spirits of Charlie and Lola.

This book appeals to children ages 3-7 through the use of imaginative play, sibling relationships, and visual stimulation. Charlie and Lola came to life in 2001 through Lauren Child’s first book of this series, I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato and Slightly Invisible is her latest edition to this series. It later became a TV series in over 20 countries, maintaining the integrity of Lauren Child's artistic works and stories.

<3 Joy Harris and Deirdre Hartnett