Clementine - Dark Publications

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Customer Reviews: Read 19 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Tip your hat, Ramona. Bow your head, Judy Moody. Back away, Junie B. Jones. September 16, 2006
35 out of 36 found this review helpful

I have a bad habit when I read a book. If I'm reading a children's book (which, 19 out of 20 times is usually the case) and I hit on a passage that I think is especially amusing, I'll dog-ear the page. I know, I know. I'm a children's librarian. If ANYONE knows not to dog-ear pages it should be me. So to stop myself from this habit I've only been dog-earing the Advanced Readers Copies of books I review. Usually this isn't a problem. Then I read, "Clementine". I blame Sara Pennypacker personally for the fact that what was once a lovely little ARC is now a dog-eared-to-death series of bound pages. Sorry, Sara, but how could I help it? We're dealing with a book where if the infant brother of the main character says, "Go for a wok?" to her, he's referring to a game in which she puts him in the family's wok and spins him around real fast. I mean, how am I supposed to resist that? What we have here is one of the most amusing characters to grace the pages of children's literature in years. Engaging, mischevious, never ever dull, and topped off by illustrations by Marla Frazee, Pennypacker's early chapter book, "Clementine", is everything you could hope for in a story for kids. Finally, a character that can challenge Ramona Quimby for her throne.

Clementine can tell you right from the start when her week started going poorly. It all began when her best friend Margaret let Clementine cut her hair in the school bathroom. Margaret's always been jealous of her friend's bouncy red curls, so it makes perfect sense to Clementine to take the strongest red marker she has and color some curls onto Margaret's nearly bald head. That's the kind of kid Clementine is. She's always willing to go the extra mile. For example, she cuts all her own hair off in sympathy with Margaret and gets her own head painted green. Not that these were the only bad things that happened to our heroine this week. Her father, who takes care of the apartment building they live in, is fighting The Great Pigeon War against, what he labels, pigeon splat. And her parents have been planning something in secret that is making Clementine very nervous indeed. It's not easy being the creative one in the family, but this is one gal who's willing to be that person.

Author Sarah Pennypacker (who alongside Mary Quattlebaum is fighting for the prize of Best Name For An Author of Kids Books - 2006) won me over early on in this book. But the moment that had me poking my husband on the subway and showing the page to him was when Clementine mentions that when she's a grown-up she plans to smoke cigars. "And I do not plan to get married. Cigars, yes; husband, no". Aw, man. That's awesome. No no, I'm not advocating that your children suddenly all fall into the mode of thinking that cigar smoking is cool (though it would be hee-larious if they did). I'm saying that Pennypacker knows exactly how to make Clementine an original. A one-of-a-kind gal. This is the kid who examines her face in the mirror because she hopes against hope that she'll soon be able to grow a beard. How could any sane and rational human being resist that? Honestly? And here's the kicker. When I got near the end of the story and Clementine mistakenly believes that her family wants to give her away because she's not an easy kid, I actually started to tear up. Now, I do not cry over children's books, or sad movies, or cute little puppies, or anything. And I found myself trying as hard as I could not to cry near the end of "Clementine". Is this a good thing? Haven't a clue. Just thought I'd let you know about it.

By and large the book is almost perfect. There's just the occasional slip-up here and there. For the most part the author almost completely avoids a style of writing that drives me nuts. The simple fact is that Pennypacker only descends into the world of adorable-child-mispronouncing-a-word-adorably once (historical = hysterical) means that her track record is pretty darn clean. And for the most part the book is wholly original. It's just that the whole cutting off of all your hair and drawing on the right color using magic marker sounded awfully familiar. Anyone remember that old Calvin and Hobbes where Calvin has Hobbes cut his hair and, when that doesn't work, then gets his friend to color his head yellow? Deja vu time, peoples.

So we've covered the book itself and we've determined that it is goodness incarnate. Now let's talk a little Marla Frazee action here. You know her. You may not think you know her, but you know her. First of all, kudos to Frazee for her dedication which reads, "To my big brother, Mark Frazee, who thinks I'm an idiot". I've never seen THAT dedication in a children's book before! Frazee's the genius who managed to tap into the Dr. Seuss "Oh, the Places You'll Go", goldmine of graduation presents when she wrote the baby-learning-how-to-walk picture book manual, "Walk On: A Guide For Babies of All Ages". Smart woman, that. She's also penned a couple rather extraordinary titles like, "Roller Coaster" (perhaps the most amusing/least appreciated picture book of the last fifteen years) and "Santa Claus the World's Number One Toy Expert". Clementine would not be Clementine, I dare say, without Frazee's images of what our heroine might look like. Without her the book would be merely good rather than fantastic. I loved the messy rooms and the pictures of the two girls with their hair almost completely gone. I loved the visions of The Great Pigeon War and the cynical Principal with her misleading, "Hi, I'm Your Princi-PAL!" sign sitting on her desk. Gush gush gush.

Alongside books like the "Ruby Lu" series, Pennypacker (God, I love to write that name) has set herself up for what might well be the MOST amusing early chapter book series to hit shelves in a long long time. I'm a fan. I'm hooked. I'll be hawking this title out to parents of every stripe and children of every age. You cannot resist the charm of, "Clementine", no matter how hard you try. A Pennypacker original and a wonderful book.

5 out of 5 stars

LIKE NO OTHER October 23, 2006
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

Sara Pennypacker has created that rare marvel - a book about a little girl like so many little girls -- who "can't pay attention (code name ADHD) -- who is utterly charming and beguiling not just for parents BUT FOR KIDS THEMSELVES. My 7-and- 10-year-old daughters passed the CLEMENTINE test with flying colors, and keep repeating "But I was paying attention! I was paying attention to the bird outside the window!" This is an amazing, engaging book and should be an instant classic. I wish I had written it.
Jacquelyn Mitchard, author, THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN and CAGE OF STARS

5 out of 5 stars

BRILLIANT!!! November 1, 2006
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I agree with Jaquelyn Mitchard's review and her statement, "I wish I'd written it!" I read about this book in Book Page from the local library and immediately put it on reserve - it wasn't even out yet! Mind you, I'm a 50-something empty nester! But I LOVE great children's books and this is DEFINITELY going to be a classic. Clementine is the gutsy, imaginative, free-spirited girl we all wanted to be. Author Sara Pennypacker is sheer genius! I laughed out loud all the way through and constantly found myself marveling at this phrase or that. Like this one - "I jumped up and gave my dad a kiss right where his beard stops being crunchy." Hilarious!

And if the characters and quirky scenarios and crazy plot lines weren't enough, Marla Freeze gives us the perfect pictures of Clementine in all her glory. An award-winning combination if ever there was one!

My kids are grown and off at college, but I've already decided to start a Clementine collection for my future grandchildren. Bravo, Pennypacker & Frazee! Bravo Clementine! Can't wait for the next one!

5 out of 5 stars

I know a Clementine - maybe several !! March 17, 2007
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

When the review of Clementine appeared in Book Pages, I immediately put in a request with our library director to let me know when it arrived. It is a delightful and believable story based on my personal acquaintance with redheads ! No discrimination intended, no stereotypes referenced... However I am definitely recommending it to a friend who has a CLEMENTINE AND a LIMA BEAN, aka Spinach, Broccoli, etc !!

Clementine's parents handle her genuine intentional acts of mercy and compassion (vs. attention deficit disorderly conduct !) with wisdom and creativity. The author portrays Clementine as a very likeable little girl and far from mischievous or, heaven-forbid, naughty. The government school officials react in the usual manner and fail to see the delightful value in this compassionate and very bright little girl. Clementine's relationship with her friend Margaret is admirable and her respect for the adults in the story is noteworthy.

I enjoyed this little book immensely, and even read excerpts aloud to our Sunday afternoon family gathering made up of little grandchildren, young adult children, and older adults. There is enough humor in this charming story right up front and in between the lines to make it a entertaining read-aloud !!

Have fun with Clementine....She's a great little kid !

5 out of 5 stars

Clementine is a good friend, indeed. October 2, 2006
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Clementine is a good friend. She goes out of her way to help her friend, Margaret. She cuts off all Margaret's hair in an attempt to "fix" Margaret's own efforts that left a bald patch. She even colors Margaret's hair Flaming Sunset and draws curls to make Margaret feel good about herself. Finally, Clementine asks Margaret to color Clementine's hair green just to make Margaret feel like she's fitting in.

Only Margaret thought these were good ideas.

Clementine talks fast and thinks even faster. Her mind spins out of control on ideas. She watches for "ceiling snakes," saves money to buy a gorilla, and swears she's allergic to sitting still. When she's not whirling her brother around in a wok on the kitchen floor, she's helping dad fight The Great Pigeons War. Yet she slides from one disaster into another. Before long she thinks her family is ready to tell her "Good-bye and Good Riddance."

Sara Pennybacker's Clementine is a fun read. Clementine is a brand new character for kids ages 7-10, and her unique way of seeing the world and the resulting antics will quickly leave readers wondering, "What next, Clementine?"

Frazee's illustrations add to the story and provide an extra dimension to Clementine's character. I'm looking forward to the next book.

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