Lauren Child.

I have just spent a happy ten minutes colouring scrumptious little scenes from Charlie and Lolas life and in a minute I am considering hopping over to CBeebies to while away the hours dressing Lola in one of her pretty hats. And then, who knows? I might just go cloud hopping …

All this while Finley is in nursery!

If ever there was a BrocanteHome illustrator, Lauren Child is she. Creator of Charlie and Lola and the hilarious Clarice Bean, Laurens’ illustrations are a feast for the pattern lovers eye. Just look at the pink flock wallpaper in Charlie and Lola’s mum’s house: now there’s a woman with deliciously exuberant taste!

Watching Charlie and Lola at 6.00pm on CBeebies has become quite the little ritual in our house.
I sit admiring the sheer loveliness of the most beautiful cartoon on television, while Finley is reguarly scandalised by Lola’s behaviour (What’s happening Finn? Lolas is being nauny Mummy….).

And now there is The Princess and The Pea (Available in the Uk, but not published in the U.S until April.) A new book by Lauren, rumoured to be absolutely, too wonderful to even consider
giving to a child. So wait till you have packed them off to school, then sit down and admire the sheer loveliness of it, before you are forced to wrap it in tinsel and put it under the tree…