Just So Stories

Harper Collins Australia

April 2024

• ISBN: 9780008623098
• ISBN 10: 0008623090
• Imprint: HarperCollins GB
• RRP: $17.99

Yesterday was a very grumpy day. Although there was lots of good stuff in it, I was extremely annoyed to find out that someone has literally passed my own words off as their own, and, not for the first time, used my work to put focus on their own, without due acknowledgement. NOT happy. But the perfect antidote to that was another exceptionordinarily episode with Clarice Bean, her family and friends. CB’s family always remind me of ones like My Family and Outnumbered and their antics, quirks and misadventures are the stuff of total feel-goodness.

As usual, there’s a lot going on in Clarice Bean’s orbit: Dad is not feeling well, he’s stressed with a constant headache due to aggravation at work, Mum is also stressed, as unreliable staff at the nursing home means extra work for her, Marcie is horribly upset when a broken finger knocks her out of the forthcoming international kickboxing tournament, Minal has a new phobia, seeing centipedes everywhere (actually mistaking rubberbands, and all manner of debris as many-legged minibeasts), grouchy neighbour Mrs Stampney is rabid about her front wall, newcomer to the street, Czarina, is working up community passion about the trees, the roots of which are making the pavements uneven and causing some dissent – and more.

In the vortex of all this is Clarice Bean missing Betty Moody (who now lives in America) and Granny (ditto), worried about her parents, concerned that her tooth gap (caused by the same accident that broke Marcie’s finger) will ruin the school photo and anxious about how to execute her idea about whale sharks and plankton for the Lost For Words competition.

Amongst all the humour there are some terrific underlying themes as Clarice Bean reflects on the many events and emotions swirling around her, with a little help from her personal hero, Ruby Redfort by author, Patricia F. Maplin Stacey .

Most importantly in all of these is her realisation on the interconnectedness of people, animals and the earth in a multiplicity of ways but always there. The very fact that one action, no matter how small, can be the catalyst for something else, often much bigger, or that the smallest and the largest are of equal importance.

This is, in fact, philosophy for young readers (disguised as humour!) and pure delight to read, as it would be to share. This would make such a fantastic read-aloud for readers from around 8 years upwards, and of course, also for independent reading.

HUGE recommendation for another fantastic Lauren Child book (I’m pretty sure I’ve read them all!!) for kiddos from Year 3 upwards with a 5 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋 rating!

PS Ironically, there was a running thread of tardigrades throughout the entire book and today I see an upcoming book on that very topic!