I have been a fan of Lauren Child’s books for over ten years. There was something just something magical about her Charlie and Lola series. She took a pair of siblings, and placed them in ordinary situations like birthday parties and loose teeth. When complications arose, these siblings used creativity and their imaginations to solve their problems.

Lauren Child has written several picture books that do not feature Charlie and Lola, but most of these do not feature siblings. The New Small Person introduces us to Elmore Green, a young boy who likes things a certain way. He happily eats his orange jelly beans and lines up his toys, but then one day, a new small person arrives. Elmore is not happy about the intrusion, and does not appreciate that the small person is licking the jelly beans and wearing his fourth favorite outfit. Will Elmore ever find any use for this small intruder? Read more