Lola Loves Stories with Daddy
Anna McQuinn, author
Anna McQuinn has worked in children's books for more than twenty-five years as an editor, publisher, and writer. She is the author of more than twenty books for children, including Lola at the Library, Lola Loves Stories, Lola Reads to Leo, The Sleep Sheep (Scholastic), and If You're Happy and You Know It! (Barefoot). Anna leads groups like Leo's at her local library.
Read more about Anna McQuinn.
Rosalind Beardshaw, illustrator
Rosalind Beardshaw loved drawing from early childhood and from a young age decided she wanted to become an illustrator. She studied at Manchester Polytechnic where she earned a degree in illustration.
Read more about Rosalind Beardshaw.
- A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
School Library Journal
The lovable African-American preschooler from Lola at the Library (Charlesbridge, 2006) returns in this whimsical picture book. Lola and her daddy go to the library every Saturday to pick out books. The stories she reads with her family throughout the week lend inspiration to her playtime, stretching her imagination and physical limits. Lola becomes a fairy princess, a pilot flying to exotic places, a farmer, and even a "wild and wicked" monster. The simple and straightforward text is easy to read, and the bright acrylic illustrations are eye-catching close-ups of Lola absorbed in books and in play. This engaging depiction of a child's enthusiasm for being read to is an excellent choice for libraries.
Kirkus Reviews
Lola's daddy takes her to the library every Saturday, where she finds "excellent books," and every night her mommy or daddy reads them to her. The next day Lola acts out the story. On Sunday she's a fairy princess; on Monday she takes her toy animals "on fantastic trips to places like Paris"; on Wednesday she's a tiger, etc. Each new book and day provides Lola with a variety of tales to play out, with the last one--which is about a wild monster--posing the question, "What will Lola be tomorrow?" The final page shows her in a wolf suit just like Max's. The library books, the pretending, and the incorporation of the days of the week work together as a simple and pleasing premise. Beardshaw's acrylic illustrations depict the multicultural kids and Lola's black family with childlike charm, while the title will have librarians, parents and booksellers smiling. Alert: The book will be an invitation for lap kids to follow Lola's lead--not such a bad thing.
Publishers Weekly
In Lola at the Library (2006), readers learned that bibliophilic Lola and her mother travel to the library every Tuesday. Turns out one trip a week isn't enough: every Saturday, Lola and her father pick out library books, which then become the inspiration for pretend play the rest of the week. "Tuesday night Lola's mommy reads a story about fierce tigers. The next day Lola chases her friend Orla all over the jungle" (actually a backyard that the two girls have stocked with stuffed animals). McQuinn and Beardshaw keep their young African-American heroine firmly rooted in the real world, and while the sturdy characterizations and cheery, saturated acrylic colors are never less than genial, the literalness starts to feel a bit ho-hum--it's almost like reading a recipe book for "Let's Pretend." A nod to Where the Wild Things Are in the final pages (it's the last book Lola and her father read) may remind readers all too well of what a real flight of fancy looks like.
BayViews
When three-year-old Lola and her father read stories, Lola becomes the hero of each, using her imagination to become a fairy princess, a construction worker, and even a scary monster. Lola is just as sure to delight preschoolers in this quiet read-aloud as she did in McQuinn’s Lola Loves the Library. A simple text and soft pastels make this a charming, if slight, read, and many families and teachers will be thrilled to find a book featuring an African-American girl and her father engaged in early literacy activities. The story leaves readers wondering about (and discussing) Lola’s next inspiration.
Language Arts
Lola's daddy takes her to the library on Saturdays and once they are home, he reads Lola the books they borrowed. After hearing her daddy read the first story about a fairy princess, Lola spends the next day wearing a fancy dress and a sparkling crown. She is a fabulous fairy princess! Lola can achieve anything she wants if she tries, just like the people in the books that her dad reads for her. One day she is a princess, the next day she is a ship traveler, and another day she is a hunter. Accompanied by beautiful pictures by Rosalind Beardshaw, the book is perfect to show young children how a love of books and libraries can take them, at least in their imaginations, to adventure, love, and knowledge.
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-58089-258-2
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-58089-259-9
Ages: 5-8
Page count: 32
8 x 10
Board
ISBN: 978-1-62354-180-4
Ages: 0-3
Page count: 16
7 x 7
E-book
ISBN: 978-1-60734-552-7 EPUB
ISBN: 978-1-60734-441-4 PDF
Spanish language edition
ISBN: 978-1-58089-443-2 Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-58089-444-9 Paperback