Age 7-10
What Bridget Jones is to thirtysomethings, Clarice Bean is to pre-teens: full of funny one-liners, doing her best to overcome her shortcomings, prone to embarrassing mistakes and good at heart. The orthographically challenged CB reads the dictionary in preparation for a terrifying spelling bee, but the only difficult word she can spell is “rhinoceros”. She aspires to be an actress, but is cast as the non-speaking “nun four” in the school production of The Sound of Music; she understands why her friend Karl is being difficult at school, but her knowledge threatens their friendship; and she wants to be brave like her fictional heroine Ruby Redfort. The story, like Child’s doodles, is witty and charming and crams a lot of meaning into apparent simplicity. It is also full of great characters, including CB’s all-knowing mother, her handsome brother and his simpering admirers, her flamboyant Russian drama teacher Czarina, and Mrs Wilberton the teacher whose authoritarian exasperation is perfectly represented: “I think we would all appreciate hearing less from you, madam.” Actually she’s wrong. We can’t get enough Clarice Bean.
(Orchard £9.99) NJ