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

Also Mentioned In This Review:

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Read my review

Magda's Review: Bud and Gabby, by Anne Davis

Bud and Gabby
Author/Illustrator: Anne Davis
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: August 1, 2006

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Source: bought from library sale


"Mommy, can I review this book?"

We must have read Anne Davis' Bud and Gabby at least fifty times since we bought it at a library sale a year ago (or was it two?) but this time Magda wanted to review it. I think it was because she had a cold at the time and the book is about two cats and the worry one goes through when the other one gets sick. It spoke to her this time.

Magda's review:
"In between the silly part and the all together part, there's a sick part. I didn't like that because I don't like being sick. But mostly it's a happy book. Even in the sick part, there's a silly part where Bud the orange cat makes a mess with the toilet paper. I like that it's a silly book and a nice book. I also like being an author and a writer so I'm going to do that."

So there you go. Magda's first review as a four-year-old (she just had her birthday last week). Bud and Gabby is a nice book, and a silly book, but there's a sick part in the middle that can get kind of tense. Don't worry. It all works out in the end.