Here Comes Lolo

March 15, 2020
Bright and cheerful Lolo is the star of the show in this new chapter-book series from South Africa. Lolo is a little black girl who lives with her mother and grandmother. Lolo is a sensitive child but takes reassurance from the love of her mother and Gogo. In the first chapter, "A Gold Star and a Kiss for Lolo," Lolo is impatient for the Star Awards at school that afternoon: "During music, Lolo couldn't wait for the last line of a new song to end. Waiting for Star Awards was painful." This feeling of eagerness for one's favorite part of the day will be familiar to young readers. The events in Lolo's world revolve around school, home, and her community--like most children in early elementary school. Children will find a sense of security in the love that Lolo receives from Gogo, her mother, and the people who live in their community. Volume 2, Hooray for Lolo, publishes simultaneously. It includes a chapter in which Lolo is treated for appendicitis. After being sick for so long, it takes a while for Lolo to reclaim her winning smile, but she manages, and all is well. These two books offer eight easy-to-read chapters between them, almost every page decorated in grayscale with Daly's trademark loose, humorous cartoons. Young readers will find much to enjoy in this tale of a winning little girl and her family--hooray indeed! (Fiction. 5-9)

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April 1, 2020
Grades K-3 This first book in a series from South African writer/illustrator Daly introduces Lolo, a high-spirited Black girl who lives with Mama and Gogo, her grandmother, in a multiracial neighborhood. In the first of four stories, Lolo loses her precious gold-star sticker, which is picked up and treasured by a little girl. Gogo helps Lolo understand that when dealing with younger children, sometimes kindness is more important than fairness. The remaining stories tell of Lolo longing for a hat that can't be hers, finding a diamond ring on the sidewalk and returning it to the owner, and confiding in her teacher when she suspects that a neighbor is mistreating his dog. Each tale is complete in itself. Lolo's strong emotions are always apparent, and with some gentle guidance she learns to consider the feelings of others as well. With a simply written, graceful text and gray-scale pictures on nearly every page, these appealing stories are just right for children moving from beginning readers to chapter books. A sequel, Hooray for Lolo, will be published simultaneously.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

May 18, 2020
In this early reader collection, Daly introduces Lolo, an energetic black girl who lives with her Mama and grandmother Gogo, as she faces four everyday obstacles and employs creative thinking to find solutions. Through efforts to earn a coveted gold star for reading, losing out on a sought-after hat, finding the proper owner of a misplaced ring, and helping an abused pet, Lolo learns that hard work, compromise, honesty, and asking for help, respectively, will guide her through any situation. Daly’s lessons are relatable and resonant, sowing seeds of compassion and connection between the reader and Lolo. Gogo is an especially appealing character, as she pragmatically encourages and shepherds Lolo through times of difficulty while never diminishing her granddaughter’s feelings. The expressive black-and-white digital illustrations, which resemble classic line art à la Amelia Bedelia, lovingly depict Lolo and her community. An endearing protagonist and clear thematic messages make this first in a series a winsome pick for early readers. Ages 5–8.