PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
Sara Pennypacker (www.sarapennypacker.com) was a painter before becoming a writer, and she has two absolutely fabulous children who are now grown. She has written several books, including six previous Clementine stories: Clementine, The Talented Clementine, Clementine's Letter, Clementine, Friend of the Week, Clementine and the Family Meeting, and Clementine and the Spring Trip. Sara grew up in Massachusetts and now divides her time between Cape Cod and St. Petersburg, Florida. Marla Frazee (www.marlafrazee.com) illustrated all of the books in the Clementine series and several picture books, including God Got a Dog by Cynthia Rylant. She is the author/illustrator of The Boss Baby; Walk On!; Santa Claus, the World's Number One Toy Expert; Roller Coaster, and Boot and Shoe. She is also a two time Caldecott Honoree, for All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, and her own A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever. Marla works in a small backyard cabin under an avocado tree in Pasadena, California.
In this series ender, third grade is almost over, but Clementine is far from ready to say goodbye to her familiar classmates and supportive teacher. Mr. D'Matz keeps trying to tell her about all the ways she's grown and changed since entering his class (Clementine, rev. 1/07 and sequels), but all Clementine hears when he talks about baby chicks ready to spread their wings is his favorite story about how great it is when perfectly happy, unsuspecting birds get kicked off their branches. Meanwhile, she's not speaking to her father over an argument about vegetarianism, her new baby sibling is due any day, and her friend Margaret's mother is about to get married. All this change and clamor is handled with the series's signature light touch, mixing compassion, humor (often a function of Clementine's tart perspective on various situations), and respect for Clementine's very real, very relatable anxieties. The plot unfolds gently onward, seamlessly interweaving threads that are just right for their audience. Frazee's breezy pen-and-ink half-page, full-page, and spot illustrations capture Clementine's frenetic energy and goofy panache to expand upon already rich portrayals of her frazzled-but-loving parents, patient teacher, and similarly beset classmates. A warm, bittersweet sendoff for a beloved literary friend. claire e. gross Horn Book
