Utterly Me, Clarice Bean

Utterly Me, Clarice Bean was a book that I'd meant to read for a long time, and fully expected to like. I did like my time with Clarice, but I didn't love it as much as I'd presumed I would. Still, it was a nice quick read, even I managed to read it in just a couple of days. I liked this better than the picture book Clarice Bean, That's Me. Perhaps the longer format worked better for Clarice? I definitely like her voice- she's quite funny, and I did chortle away a few times, not quite laughing out loud, but there were some sniggering snorts. 

I really like Clarice's language. How her every third word is utterly. How things are probably almost definitely code. That she uses insults like super limpet. How when her best friend Betty isn't at school Clarice presumes that she is in Russia or kidnapped by aliens. And it's funny.

Can you imagine Ruby Redfort cleaning the washbasin? 

The answer is NO because she has Mrs Digby who looks after her every need.  

Ruby Redfort is too busy solving crime to clean a washbasin. 

Mum says if I moan about this she will get me to clean the toilet.  

I'm thinking about calling the child protector people. 

It's strange but finally reading Utterly Me, made me not really want to read the Ruby Redfort books, when I'd been vaguely interested before. I knew that they were a spinoff from the Clarice Bean books, but didn't really know how. Ruby Redfort is a girl detective and the heroine of a book series that consumes much of Clarice and Betty's attention and affections. However Ruby sounded rather annoying, kind of like a modern Nancy Drew at times, and generally like a James Bond/boys adventure hero (perhaps that's the point) at others. 

Still, Lauren Child has rightly been tremendously successful, her style is immediately recognisable, rather influential and even iconic in the children's book world. I'll spend more time with Clarice and hope our friendship grows.