I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato (Charlie & Lola)

Name: I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato (Charlie & Lola)
Author: Lauren Child
ISBN: 9781841216027

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

Featuring Charlie and Lola

by Lauren Child

Reading Level 2 C · Gentle Ages 5-8 Matched

The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes. Its HootRating code, C, means gentle content.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links.

About This Book

Have you ever refused to eat something just because it looks weird? Lola is sure she will never, ever eat a tomato, no matter what! But when Charlie decides to play a clever trick at dinner, will Lola change her mind?

Themes

Family HumorChildrenPicture books

Quick Assessment

This charming picture book addresses picky eating through the playful relationship between siblings Charlie and Lola. Suitable for early readers aged 5 to 8, it uses humor and gentle persuasion to encourage children to try new foods. Parents can expect a lighthearted story that supports positive mealtime habits without pressure.

Why we rated I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato (Charlie & Lola) C (Gentle)

I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato (Charlie & Lola) is written at a Level 2 reading level across 32 pages. Reading-wise, most kids in grade 3 and up can manage I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato (Charlie & Lola) on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

We rate I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato (Charlie & Lola) as C (Gentle) because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.

Thematically, I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato (Charlie & Lola) explores family, humor, children, and picture books — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, humor, children.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

C · Gentle

Emotional

Gentle

Physical

Gentle

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

No conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?