Charlie and Lola is a delightful animated BBC series based on the Charlie and Lola books by Lauren Child. Change, making decisions, and learning new things are a challenging part of growing up, and young Lola finds each of them exceedingly difficult. Luckily, Lola's big brother Charlie, who's oh so fond of his little sister, has a knack for combining imagination and compassion in order to help her solve just about any problem. Lola and Charlie are both really excited about the big Halloween party at school in "What Can I Wear for Halloween," but Lola just can't decide what sort of costume she should wear. When their friend Morton accidentally squashes the huge pumpkin they were planning to take to school, Lola finds herself with two big problems. Perhaps Charlie and Lola can use their imaginations to solve both problems at once. Change is unsettling, whether it's a change in routine, the seasons, or a family tradition, and Lola absolutely does not like change. In "Everything Is Different and Not the Same," Charlie helps Lola get over the difficulties that come with autumn, while Lola does some brainstorming of her own to deal with her discomfort at her very first sleepover in "I Slightly Want to Go Home." A family tradition is threatened in "But We Always Do It Like This," but Charlie and Lola soon discover that sometimes a change in tradition leads to an even better tradition. In "Do Not Ever Never Let Go," Lola loves her tricycle and never wants to graduate to a bicycle--at least until her best friend Lotta shows up with a new bike. Lola soon discovers that trying new things can be both fun and frustrating, and that perseverance pays off. Helpfulness is the attribute of the day in "I Am Goody the Good" and "I Am Going to Save a Panda," but sometimes effectively helping others takes some real creativity. Lola has a hard time doing what she knows is right when she finds a lost toy that she really wants to keep in "I Would Like to Actually Keep It," and she has an even harder time deciding on the right course of action when Lotta gives her a special present that Lola really doesn't like in "But I Don't Really Like This Present." This volume of the Charlie and Lola series offers great messages about imagination, cooperation, and familial love and will absolutely captivate children ages 2 to 8. --Tami Horiuchi