What do you think?
Rate this book
Charlie & Lola
I Am Really, Really Concentrating
It’s Field Day at Charlie and Lola’s school and each student is allowed to choose one activity in which to participate. Charlie, Marv, and Lotta all quickly find activities that they’re good at, but Lola struggles to find one to suit her. Lola eventually chooses the egg-and-spoon race and succeeds at it by really, really concentrating.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
24 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2008
About the author
Lauren Child
458 books846 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 1, 2014
Lola is practising for the egg and spoon race. Charlie helps her.
August 4, 2017
Miss 2 and I like to explore different books at the library and try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.
She adores reading the Charlie and Lola books so this was another one to add to our list. I like that Lola tries a bunch of different activities to prepare for sports day and then chooses one that she isn't very good at but works really, really hard at to improve. It also doesn't matter to Lola that she comes last in the Egg & Spoon race, what matters to her is that she concentrated and carried her egg intact the entire way just like she was determined to do.
She adores reading the Charlie and Lola books so this was another one to add to our list. I like that Lola tries a bunch of different activities to prepare for sports day and then chooses one that she isn't very good at but works really, really hard at to improve. It also doesn't matter to Lola that she comes last in the Egg & Spoon race, what matters to her is that she concentrated and carried her egg intact the entire way just like she was determined to do.
January 4, 2019
I like the Charlie and Lola books mostly because I hear Lola's little British accent in my head while I read them.
November 9, 2021
This made us both giggle.
December 16, 2021
This is such a cute book. I loved Lola in this, she is so earnest.
September 20, 2025
I like the original Charlie and Lola books better, but the ones based on the TV show are also good. In this one, Lola prepares for the spoon and egg race. How will she fare?
June 10, 2016
Field Day is coming up and Lola is determined to find something that she can really excel at to make the most of it. The egg and spoon race seems like it might be the thing, but she'll have to really, really concentrate to not let the egg drop.
This is another great C&L selection with plenty of Lotta and Marv to round out the cast. It's definitely introduced the concept of concentration with our 3-year-old, so that's been fun.
This is another great C&L selection with plenty of Lotta and Marv to round out the cast. It's definitely introduced the concept of concentration with our 3-year-old, so that's been fun.
September 22, 2009
We LOVE Lauren Child's books, and especially find the Charlie and Lola series endearing. We always enjoy the imagination, silliness, and fun of these books.
April 19, 2010
She was trying to cocentrate, that's all :D
February 6, 2011
The little one really likes the pages with the sleeping chooks. She turns to that one immediately and likes to look at it and talk about it for several minutes.
December 20, 2011
If I saw this in person I would not have bought it, but I got it online.
July 2, 2013
Toddler loves it, but that's because she loves anything with Lola in it.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews