Poor Clarice Bean, sharing her bedroom with her irritating brother Minal Cricket, coping with his tendency towards hanging upside down until he turns purple, and having to squish all her worldly goods into the tiniest of spaces. It just doesn't seem fair, especially as her boy-obsessed, lipstick wearing sister has a room all to herself, as does her older brother Kurt--a non-communicative teenager "in the dark tunnel of adolescence".

And its all right for her parents: dad escapes the chaos of the family home by going to his office, granddad spends most of his time "having peace and quiet" in his comfy chair, and mum disappears into the bathroom with a truck load of lotions and potions when it all gets too much for her.

But Clarice, despite all her efforts, can't find her own peace anywhere until one day she throws her brother's duvet out of the window and then "accidentally on purpose" tips a bowl of spaghetti hoops over his head. Then she is in Big Trouble, and she is sent to her room for 3 whole hours. And it's best piece of peace and quiet she has had in ages.

Clarice Bean, That's Me is an outstanding, clever and absolutely hilarious scrap-book style picture book that charts the chaotic lifestyle of its heroine with outrageously quirky illustrations and a cut-to-the-chase writing style that is both imaginative and refreshingly irreverent.

Lauren Child's Smarties Prize shortlisted title will have children and adults alike returning time and time again to the Bean household to bask in the heartwarming glow of an intelligent, funny and honest take on family life, delivered with an enviable wit that is set to make young Clarice something of a superstar. (Ages 6 to 8) --Susan Harrison

2008-03-10 It's true - there is more to Lauren Child than Charlie and Lola!

I own this book in a collection of other titles by Lauren Child (The three original Charlie and Lola books, Hubert Horatio, That Pesky Rat etc) and it's equally as charming as any other Lauren Child picture book.

Clarice Bean is a sassy and confident schoolgirl who dreams of a room of her own. In this delightful debut, she introduces us to herself, her family and her noisy, nosy and trouble-making neighbour Robert Granger. The part where her younger brother barges in is not as annoying as suggested, it is just funny enough. I find some parts of the book teen oriented, particularly the parts where Clarice takes a sneek peek in her older sister Marcie's room and her parents talking outside her big brother Kurt's room. Other than that, there is a lovely combination of illustrations and photography.