Review of Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan

Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan, Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. 

Viking (2011)

2011 Charlotte Zolotow Award Winner

A lot of times when you start reading a children's book, you can pretty much guess the ending. I was

a little surprised by Big Red Lollipop. It had a twist in the middle (at least for me) that made it more interesting than a run-of-the-mill story. I'm sure that contributed to winning the Zolotow Award. Most books, although entertainment must be there, have some kind of message or lesson. This one is that things don't always go your way. A second lesson might be poetic justice. You'll have to read it to see what I mean.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rukhsana Khan: The author was born in Pakistan but grew up (from 3 years old) in Canada. With four children of her own, she had plenty of inspiration for stories. She began her writing career by composing songs for Adam's World videos. Her stories often deal with diversity. She has six children's books (as of this writing) as well as two novels and some short stories. 

For more about Alan Elliott visit www.alanelliott.com