Q: Lola’s a terrific storyteller. When she tells the dogs a good-night story (“Twas the night before Thanksgiving . . .”), it includes a description of Maizy and Barkley missing their mom and dad. Why does Lola include this?
A: Lola includes this because she herself is missing Mom and Dad, who are less available to Lola and Jack because both are working so hard while also preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday. She tells the story of Maizy and Barkley missing their mom and dad and is no doubt comforted by the fact that she’s not the only one! That’s the power of stories. You read one and realize that you’re not the only one with a problem. The character in the story might have the same problem. She might have an idea for how to solve the problem. And that makes you feel better.
Q: Grandma Zuckerman and Granny Coogan are as different as New York and Texas, but Lola loves them equally. How is Lola similar to her grandmothers, and how is she uniquely Lola?
A: Lola is similar to Granny in that she loves to work in the garden, and she’s similar to Grandma because both love telling stories. Lola is uniquely herself in her desire to bring people together—her parents and brother, her grandparents, and Mrs. McCracken, as well as her friends at school—and make them feel loved. Even though Lola sometimes gets jealous and sometimes lies, she has so much love in her heart.
Q: At the end of the story, Lola and her family have a group hug. Is this something your family has done over the years?
A: Yes! We give lots of hugs in my family, both individual and group. We even hug our dog!
Q: If you could give Lola one piece of advice at the end of this story, what would it be?
A: I would tell Lola not to be afraid to tell the truth. Lies are like candy. They taste sweet, but they aren’t good for you. They don’t nourish you or your friendships. It’s easy to tell people what you think they want to hear, like Lola telling both grandmothers their pumpkin pies were the best. But the truth is better! Grandma tells wonderful stories! A genuine compliment will mean much more to her. It’s easy to hide from what you know you should do, as Lola did when she hid her knot. But her lie caught up to her, and by the time she really tackled it, it was very big. Sometimes we lie because we are afraid, as Lola was of her knot. But our problems don’t disappear when we run from them.
Q: Do you think that Jack will always want to act like a big kid, or will he sometimes want to play Blanket of Doom on the guest bed?
A: I think he will definitely want to play Blanket of Doom on the guest bed! It’s too much fun, no matter how grown-up you are!
CHRISTINE PAKKALA is the author of Last-But-Not-Least Lola Going Green, Last-But-Not-Least Lola and the Wild Chicken, Last-But-Not-Least Lola and the Cupcake Queens, and Jasmine and Maddie. She has taught seventh- and ninth-grade English and now teaches creative writing to adults and children. She lives in Westport, Connecticut, with her husband, son, and daughter, and two golden retrievers. christinepakkala.com
PAUL HOPPE is an illustrator, designer, and author whose work has been published by the New York Times and the New Yorker. His books include Peanut by Ayun Halliday and his own Hat and The Woods. In the summers, he teaches at the School of Visual Arts. Born in Poland and raised in Germany, he now lives in Brooklyn, New York. paulhoppe.com
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