Louise Cheese returns in this fourth picture-book devoted to her adventures, still intent on getting noticed and being a VIP. When a new girl, Claire Eclairs, shows up on her street one day, straight from Paris, Louise is suitably impressed, and immediately agrees to attend her "ooh-la-la charm school." Unfortunately, this seems to consist mostly of being bossed around by Claire, who isn't everything she seems. Even worse, is that it leads Louise to ignore her real friend, Fern...

With their depiction of a feisty girl who longs for things to be exciting, and their sparkle-enhanced covers, the Louise Cheese books remind me a bit of the Fancy Nancy series. Although I don't tend to enjoy them as much as those others, generally they are engaging, and feature a believably flawed but nevertheless essentially goodhearted young girl. That said, in Louise the Big Cheese and the ooh-la-la Charm School, I thought a little of the charm was missing. Louise was more obnoxious than usual, and although she comes to her senses, one never really gets the sense (here or i previous books) that her lesson will "stick." I've read all four of Elise Primavera and Diane Goode's stories about Louise now, and I think this one is the weakest. Recommended primarily to strong fans of the character. ( )

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