The Bookworm

But Excuse Me That is My Book by Lauren Child

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charlie and Lola are new to me with Little Cherub. She latched on to the book at the library because she has seen bits of the TV series and recognised the characters. I'm not keen on spin-off books from TV shows, but - like Thomas the Tank Engine - this is one of those series where the books came first and later spawned the TV version.

But Excuse Me That is My Book is written entirely in the voices of the characters - patient big brother Charlie and his little sister Lola, who wants HER book and can't get her head around the idea that it is a library book and someone else may have borrowed it.

Lola says, "But Charlie, my book is lost! It is completely not there!"

I say, "Lola, remember this is a library so someone must have borrowed it."

Lola says, "But Beetles, Bugs and Butterlies is MY book."

I say, "But it's not your library. Someone else obviously wanted to read your book."

Lola says, "But they can't. It's MY book."

The text runs on in this vein rather breathlessly. Whether you find the effect irritating or appealing is a matter of taste, as is the switching around between different fonts and the rather jumpy layout. It is very much a love it or hate it book. Cherub loves it and I enjoy it. Tevye doesn't.