Lola Dutch

In their first collaboration, spouses Kenneth and Sarah Jane Wright (I Heart You) introduce Lola Dutch, who “is a little bit much.” Rocking a pink tutu and a megawatt smile, she sails down the bannister in her elegant home (landing on her caregiver, Bear) and announces, “Today is going to be amazing! I’m just bursting with ideas!” Lola overrules Bear’s suggestion that they start the day with tea and toast, and instead prepares a lavish breakfast for her pals Gator, Crane, and Pig. At the library, art books ignite Lola’s imagination, and back home she creates stylized versions of eight masterpieces, including Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam, which she paints on the ceiling. In an abrupt turnabout, Lola’s too-much-isn’t-nearly-enough attitude gets the best of her at bedtime. “This is all too much!” she wails before concluding that all she needs is Bear’s love. Sara Jane Wright’s gouache and watercolor pictures bring a chic elegance to each page, but with a plot that mostly tracks Lola’s shifting enthusiasms, she winds up a heroine in search of a story. Ages 3–6. [em]Agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management. (Jan.) [/em]