The Chocolate Wedding

Lulu is to be in her aunt's wedding, but overindulging in her Easter chocolates lands her on the sofa instead. Here she drifts into dreams of chocolate cats and soldiers pitted against the household mice; a miniature bride and groom--figures from the wedding cake--come to life, dependent on Lulu for their happiness and reunion. As in Lulu and the Flying Babies, Simmonds playfully and skillfully interweaves fantasy and reality, suggesting that the border between them is more permeable than we might think. She also shows a fine understanding of children's expectations and disappointments, all wrapped in a lively comic-strip format that vibrates with action and humor. Ages 5-10. (Mar.)