Charlie & Lola Go Fish Game

I can't remember if I've mentioned it here before, but even though I have no children, I adore children's books, and actually own quite a few. Charlie and Lola came to my attention about two years ago; it's a series of books about a boy named Charlie and his younger sister Lola, who as Charlie says is "small and very funny." Lola is full of imagination and gets into all sorts of misadventures, and Charlie is very patient with her. My favorite book in the series so far is But Excuse Me That Is My Book. Charlie and Lola go to the library, and Lola is distraught to find that someone else has checked out her favorite book! I also love the small-child way that Lola phrases things, like "snow is my favorite and my best" and "I will never not ever eat a tomato" (both of which are titles of other books in the series).

The stories are fun, and the illustrations are equally memorable. Lauren Child, the series creator, uses collage illustration and does lots of fun things with the text, like sending it in spirals across the page. The series has also spawned an animated television show, although that may primarily be shown in the UK. There are also some spin-off products, which brings me to this Charlie & Lola Go Fish game. With the box only a little over 5 inches on its longest side, this should easily fit into a stocking, and it also would work well as a paired gift, with a Charlie & Lola book or two as regular, non-stocking gifts. (Hint: remember bookcloseouts.com, which I talked about not too long ago? Go there and search for "Lauren Child" under author -- you'll find some Charlie & Lola books at bargain prices. If you have a preference, though, make sure to pay attention to which are hardcover and which are softcover.)

If Charlie & Lola turns out to be a hit with your kids, there's other merchandise available as well -- a store-wide search on Amazon for "charlie lola" should do the trick.

What: Charlie and Lola - Toys - Go Fish Game
Where: Amazon or elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $4.48 (plus shipping)