Loula and the Sister Recipe, by Anne Villeneuve

Magda and I were big fans of Anne Villeneuve's previous book, Loula is Leaving for Africa, about a wealthy girl with successful but scattered parents, horrible triplet brothers, and a (luckily) attentive chauffeur. If it hadn't been for that chauffeur, I'm not sure anyone would have noticed that Loula had been gone all day (not really to Africa). Once again, it's the driver to the rescue when Loula decides it's time for another adventure. This time, she wants to create a new baby sister for herself, if only she can find the right ingredients.

This one sort of straddles the line between adorable and a little creepy, as Loula and her driver assemble the "ingredients" that Loula has heard are needed to make a baby. She gathers chocolate, candlelight, butterflies, hugs and kisses (with her cat), and of course, her parents. I know it's meant to be cute, but it's a little weird. After all, we the readers know that she's trying to set the scene for her parents to get it on (even if she doesn't quite realize it). And her chauffeur is helping her. It's...a little weird.

In the end her efforts do lead to an addition to the family, except it's in the form of a stray dog. Well, they assume it's a stray and just keep it without question. Again, a little odd.

Nonetheless, the series itself is charming and I'm hoping there will be more Loula books by Anne Villeneuve, even if this particular one isn't my favourite.

Magda's Take:
"I don't think that's going to work. I'm pretty sure that's not how you get a baby sister..."

BOOK DETAILS:
Loula and the Sister Recipe
by Anne Villeneuve
Published by Kids Can Press
Publication Date: August 1, 2014
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Source: NetGalley

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