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Charlie & Lola
Whoops! But it Wasn't Me
Charlie has this little sister Lola.
Lola has been playing with Charlie's very special rocket.
Charlie says, "Did you break my rocket?"
Lola says, "You absolutely told me to not ever NEVER touch it ... ever."
Lola has been playing with Charlie's very special rocket.
Charlie says, "Did you break my rocket?"
Lola says, "You absolutely told me to not ever NEVER touch it ... ever."
32 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2006
1 person is currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Child
449 books837 followersLauren Child MBE is an English author and illustrator. She was the UK Children's Laureate from 2017-19.
Child grew up in Wiltshire as the middle child of three sisters and the daughter of two teachers. She has always been interested in the many aspects of childhood, from gazing into toy shop windows to watching American children's shows from the 1960s. After attending two Art Schools, she travelled for six months, still unsure about which career to embark upon.
Before writing and illustrating children's books Child started her own company 'Chandeliers for the People' making lampshades. It was only when she came to write and illustrate the book Clarice Bean, That's Me that she decided to devote her time to writing and illustrating books for children, which combines her fascination for childhood and her talent for designing and creating. Child gets her inspiration from other people's conversations or from seeing something funny happen.
Her book I Will Not Ever Never Eat A Tomato won the 2000 Kate Greenaway Medal. For the 50th anniversary of the Medal (1955–2005), a panel named it one of the top ten winning works, which comprised the shortlist for a public vote for the nation's favourite. It finished third in the public vote from that shortlist.
Child lives in North London.
Child grew up in Wiltshire as the middle child of three sisters and the daughter of two teachers. She has always been interested in the many aspects of childhood, from gazing into toy shop windows to watching American children's shows from the 1960s. After attending two Art Schools, she travelled for six months, still unsure about which career to embark upon.
Before writing and illustrating children's books Child started her own company 'Chandeliers for the People' making lampshades. It was only when she came to write and illustrate the book Clarice Bean, That's Me that she decided to devote her time to writing and illustrating books for children, which combines her fascination for childhood and her talent for designing and creating. Child gets her inspiration from other people's conversations or from seeing something funny happen.
Her book I Will Not Ever Never Eat A Tomato won the 2000 Kate Greenaway Medal. For the 50th anniversary of the Medal (1955–2005), a panel named it one of the top ten winning works, which comprised the shortlist for a public vote for the nation's favourite. It finished third in the public vote from that shortlist.
Child lives in North London.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 2, 2017
I seem to be able to empathise with Charlie and Lola stories for in this one I can feel sympathy for Lola when she gets blamed for damaging Charlie's rocket; the reason is that when I attend aqua aerobics, I often get the blame for splashing and am confined, with others, to what is termed 'The Naughty Corner' ... and believe me, I am not to blame - it wasn't me (at least who started it!).
In this tale which has Charlie and Lola at their best, Charlie begins by saying that he doesn't mind his little sister, Lola, playing with his things. He comes home from school with a rocket that he has made and he tells her, 'It took me ten days, three hours and forty minutes to make the outside'. And then, rather like a Blue Peter challenge (a children's UK television programme known for making things out of odd bits and pieces), he tells her it is built from three cereal packets, ten yoghurt pots, 28 bottle tops, 157 sweet wrappers and a roll of extra-wide tinfoil.
He is so proud of his rocket and tells Lola not to touch it and she has to promise never to play with it. Lola suggests playing with something else but Charlie is going to play football with Marv so he leaves her behind and suggests that she play with Soren Lorensen, who is Lola's imaginary friend that nobody else can see.
So Lola and Soren play with some toy animals, an elephant and some hyenas, the latter who laugh at Ellie the elephant. So Lola suggests that Ellie should go back to her friends in Animal Land but the problem is how to get her there. Yes, you've got it, Lola suddenly remembers Charlie's rocket!
Trying to be extra careful with the rocket is unsuccessful for Lola breaks it to pieces. Wondering what to do, Soren says, 'If we both act normally, Lola, then Charlie might not think we did it.' But when Charlie arrives home he immediately blames Lola for breaking his rocket. Naturally she denies it to which Charlie says, 'You are telling a big lie, Lola! And you know it!'
Lola discusses the situation with Soren and they decide to come clean and tell Charlie 'the real true story of who broke your special rocket'. And they regale him with a story of squeezing Ellie the elephant into the rocket; 'It was a real squish. But we did it,' explains Lola. They took off but when they landed the rocket 'just fell to pieces ... And that's what happened,' says Lola.
Charlie is disbelieving so eventually Lola has to admit that she broke the rocket when getting it down from the shelf. She is extremely sorry and Charlie says, 'That's OK. At least you've told the truth.' Charlie was reasonable about it all for when Lola next saw the rocket he had repaired it. Lola was pleased and says 'I like it' to which Charlie replies, emphatically, 'Don't touch it!'
And Charlie and Lola move happily on to their next adventure!
In this tale which has Charlie and Lola at their best, Charlie begins by saying that he doesn't mind his little sister, Lola, playing with his things. He comes home from school with a rocket that he has made and he tells her, 'It took me ten days, three hours and forty minutes to make the outside'. And then, rather like a Blue Peter challenge (a children's UK television programme known for making things out of odd bits and pieces), he tells her it is built from three cereal packets, ten yoghurt pots, 28 bottle tops, 157 sweet wrappers and a roll of extra-wide tinfoil.
He is so proud of his rocket and tells Lola not to touch it and she has to promise never to play with it. Lola suggests playing with something else but Charlie is going to play football with Marv so he leaves her behind and suggests that she play with Soren Lorensen, who is Lola's imaginary friend that nobody else can see.
So Lola and Soren play with some toy animals, an elephant and some hyenas, the latter who laugh at Ellie the elephant. So Lola suggests that Ellie should go back to her friends in Animal Land but the problem is how to get her there. Yes, you've got it, Lola suddenly remembers Charlie's rocket!
Trying to be extra careful with the rocket is unsuccessful for Lola breaks it to pieces. Wondering what to do, Soren says, 'If we both act normally, Lola, then Charlie might not think we did it.' But when Charlie arrives home he immediately blames Lola for breaking his rocket. Naturally she denies it to which Charlie says, 'You are telling a big lie, Lola! And you know it!'
Lola discusses the situation with Soren and they decide to come clean and tell Charlie 'the real true story of who broke your special rocket'. And they regale him with a story of squeezing Ellie the elephant into the rocket; 'It was a real squish. But we did it,' explains Lola. They took off but when they landed the rocket 'just fell to pieces ... And that's what happened,' says Lola.
Charlie is disbelieving so eventually Lola has to admit that she broke the rocket when getting it down from the shelf. She is extremely sorry and Charlie says, 'That's OK. At least you've told the truth.' Charlie was reasonable about it all for when Lola next saw the rocket he had repaired it. Lola was pleased and says 'I like it' to which Charlie replies, emphatically, 'Don't touch it!'
And Charlie and Lola move happily on to their next adventure!
June 26, 2020
This story is about Charlie and Lola, Charlie build a special rocket and tells Lola she can play with the other toys but not this one. Lola is convinced by her imaginary friend to get the rocket down and it breaks. Lola feels bad for breaking the rocket but is scared to tell the truth. This book has an important message that telling the truth is always the best thing to do and you will feel better after you have said sorry. I would read this book to KS1 children and encourage a discussion about how Lola is feeling and what happened when she said sorry.
April 15, 2011
A really truthful-feeling book about the anxiety around telling the truth when you've made a big mistake and you're five years old. I actually got a bit emotional when Lola does eventually say sorry to her big brother and he hugs her and shows her that he still likes her.
November 2, 2016
I normally love this series, but sometimes 'sorry' just isn't enough. Lucky that Charlie could mend what Lola broke, but what if he couldn't have?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2024
It is very extremely quite hard to write a script in the voice of another author, I know. So I don't expect scripts from the show to sound exactly like Child's original characters. And to be really extra fair, I should acknowledge that even if a single author writes all the books or episodes in a series, they aren't all going to sound the same. But the difference I find jarring here is less the diologue, and more the tone. Charlie tells us he has a sister who is small and very funny. And the books Child wrote are quite very funny. There isn't any point to them except to be funny. And this isn't. This is a lesson about not telling a lie and it is better written than that sermon about George Washington and the cherry tree, but it isn't funny. And where Charlie has the standard into, he doesn’t narrate the original stories. If Charlie has to set the scene, then the plot has already been lost for me.
To be clear, the writing is fine, but the story and the format have gone rather farther away from the pattern that is delightful to me, and I very much deeply dislike moralizing.
Library copy
To be clear, the writing is fine, but the story and the format have gone rather farther away from the pattern that is delightful to me, and I very much deeply dislike moralizing.
Library copy
March 23, 2025
Charlie has a special rocket and he asks his sister to never, ever play with it. But does she listen?
July 10, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
July 2, 2014
This book is another in the series of Charlie and Lola written by Lauren Child. In Whoops! But it wasn't me, Charlie has worked really hard and made a rocket ship out of recycled materials like yogurt pots and tin foil. Charlie asks Lola not to touch his rocket ship, but of course when Lola is on her own, she and her imaginary friend end up breaking it. When Charlie finds out about the rocket, Lola denies any wrongdoing and even blames her imaginary friend! Upon the threat of telling mum, Lola does finally own up and says sorry for breaking the rocket. Charlie says that it is ok, and that he is happy she owned up to the truth.
This book is very in keeping with the work of Lauren Child, the illustrations and text layout are similar to the other books in the Charlie and Lola series. I really like this book as it deals with the challenging issue of children telling the truth, if they have done something which they shouldn't have. I would use this book with small children to emphasise that lying is not good and it can upset people. A child learning to tell the truth is an important message and through the use of this book, a PSHE type lesson could look deeper into the issue of honesty and people's feelings.
This book is very in keeping with the work of Lauren Child, the illustrations and text layout are similar to the other books in the Charlie and Lola series. I really like this book as it deals with the challenging issue of children telling the truth, if they have done something which they shouldn't have. I would use this book with small children to emphasise that lying is not good and it can upset people. A child learning to tell the truth is an important message and through the use of this book, a PSHE type lesson could look deeper into the issue of honesty and people's feelings.
September 18, 2010
Our girls really enjoy the Charlie and Lola series of books created by Lauren Child. They don't always like my fake English accent when I read it, but the stories are always a hit. They cut to the heart of sibling relationships - the love, the support, the arguments, the tattling... Great stories for younger children.
This is a good book that emphasizes the importance of telling the truth. The narrative and illustrations are typical for the series and we love seeing Soren Lorensen again. We enjoyed reading this book together and we've read it a couple of times.
This is a good book that emphasizes the importance of telling the truth. The narrative and illustrations are typical for the series and we love seeing Soren Lorensen again. We enjoyed reading this book together and we've read it a couple of times.
September 6, 2016
Charlie doesn't usually mind when Lola plays with his things, but when he brings his super special school project superstructure home and asks Lola specifically not to touch it, will she be able to resist? And if she doesn't, will she do the right thing when the unthinkable happens?
Charlie and Lola are back in a morality tale about honesty, taking responsibility for your actions and blaming wrongdoing on imaginary friends. All of these books are cute and fun, but this one seemed to have a little more substance. The Boy (3) has been saying "really truly sorry" and "told the truth" so that's an automatic win.
Charlie and Lola are back in a morality tale about honesty, taking responsibility for your actions and blaming wrongdoing on imaginary friends. All of these books are cute and fun, but this one seemed to have a little more substance. The Boy (3) has been saying "really truly sorry" and "told the truth" so that's an automatic win.
October 15, 2011
I think most all Charlie and Lola books can be used for a variety of teachings. This one is good to use to read about accidents and taking responsibility. She plays with Charlie's toy and breaks it. It was an accident, and she needs to come clean. No matter how hard it is for her to do.
February 14, 2012
Another really good installment of Charlie and Lola. Charlie made a really cool rocket and instructed Lola to never touch it which she wouldn't have if it hadn't been for the influence of her imaginary friend, Loren Sorensen...
November 29, 2014
I think we will shelve this one for when our son is older and when/if any siblings make their entrance. It wasn't as easy to read as the other Charlie & Lola books and not that relatable for a young toddler who is the only child. I think it will be more successful later.
Read
May 23, 2016Lola disobeys her brother Charlie and breaks the rocket that he just made, and then she must decide whether or not to tell him the truth about what happened.
Subject: Imaginary companions -- Juvenile fiction.
Honesty -- Juvenile fiction
Brothers and sisters -- Juvenile fiction
Subject: Imaginary companions -- Juvenile fiction.
Honesty -- Juvenile fiction
Brothers and sisters -- Juvenile fiction
July 8, 2023
This book is so cute! Always a good message. And who doesn't love Charlie & Lola?
October 20, 2008
it happens all the time!...This book teaches little ones how to be honest and admit the wrong they've done...I honestly absolutely loved it:)
September 24, 2009
Cute but long story about how Lola accidentally breaks Charlie’s toy and has to be honest/apologize. I love Lauren child's visual style though!
March 27, 2012
this was a very amusing book i think that the tv show is okay but the books are cool and a bit weird
November 4, 2014
Another great C&L book, had my son riveted!
December 4, 2016
This is a good book all about lies and telling the truth from the start.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2007
I love the imaginary friend Soren Lorenson.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews