The Taming of Lola: A Shrew Story (review)

Told in five "acts," Weiss' story features Lola, a little shrew with a big temper: "Lola had such an awful temper that, after a while, everyone began to let her have her way." Lola finally meets her match when cousin Lester comes for a visit; he's every bit as demanding and rude as Lola is, and the two go head-to-head almost from the moment that he arrives. After several days of constant screaming, endless arguing, and ceaseless stubbornness, Lola is suddenly struck by the foolishness of it all and says so to Lester, noting that because they were so busy arguing about everything, they didn't get to do anything fun at all. While the book doesn't exactly offer a happily-ever-after ending, the two reach some sense of peace, and both cousins make some real progress. This lightly disguised teaching tale is more pedantic than it is playful, and there's little real motive provided for Lola's sudden change of heart; it's fairly text-heavy as well, which makes it a bit of a strain for the age that's likeliest to benefit from the lesson. Nonetheless, Lola's tale provides an entertaining camouflage for its message, and there is plenty of humor to be had in the meeting of Lester and Lola ("'Hey, wait just a minute, buster!' she yelled. 'You don't get to act like that! This is my house, and only I get to act like that!'"). Smath's watercolor illustrations depict a busy shrew world, with little shrews constantly underfoot, abundant bugs and flowers, and screaming Lola at the center of it all. There's lots of entomology-infused cuisine thrown in for humor, with dead bugs lying on their backs on dinner plates and little spiders peeking out from the latticework of a pie. The scenes tend to be overcrowded and unfocused, but the chaos adds to the hightail dramatics being staged by Lola and Lester. Be prepared for lots of participatory screaming if you choose to read this one aloud; alternatively, keep it close at hand for a parent or teacher in need.