Review: Leaping Lola
Pure exuberant fun sums up this glee-filled story of Lola, a little brown Jersey calf (my absolute fave cow!) who, much to the consternation of her mother, Clarissa, wants to go to the cow ball. Her mother insists Jerseys are not designed to dance and most definitely should not attend the Black and White Ball on account that Lola is 100% non-black and white. Her hitherto carefree pirouette practising comes to a sad muddy halt as Lola relays her lamentable tale to Pearl the pig. Fortunately, Pearl is a pig of purposeful pleasures and immediately offers to 'dress' Lola for the occasion. Disguised as a black and white kind of Carmen Miranda, Lola is arguably the belle of the ball, belting out rhythmic, graceful, groovy mooves (couldn’t help myself !) until things end in a slippery mess. Her identity and dignity are at steak (er stake), until an unlikely ally establishes Lola's right to dance as much as she wants. Hawkin's debut picture book reverberates with emo