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Summary
Summary
Clementine really wants to practice her first-aid skills, but her brother presents an unexpected challenge in a sweet, funny story from Simon James.
It's Clementine Brown's birthday, and Mr. and Mrs. Brown have given her a nurse's outfit and a first-aid kit -- just what she wanted! There is no shortage of emergencies that need her attention (and her liberal use of bandages): Mr. Brown's stubbed toe, Mrs. Brown's headache, even Wellington the dog's tender paw. But her brother, Tommy, is a different matter. Even though he keeps crashing into things, he insists that he doesn't need a nurse. Clementine is sad -- nurses really need someone to help. But could it be that when a real emergency occurs, her skills will be needed?
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Clementine receives a nurse's outfit and first-aid kit for her birthday. Stethoscope and bandages in hand, she quickly sets about diagnosing her mom, dad, and even the family dog. Her younger brother proves to be a reluctant patient until a minor backyard mishap allows her to finally impress him with her medical prowess. Children will identify with Clementine's wholehearted commitment to her pretend occupation and her disappointment at her sibling's initial lack of interest in playing along. Repetition of several phrases, such as Nurse Clementine's instructions to her liberally bandaged patients to "keep this on for a week," makes the text suitable for both one-on-one readings and preschool storytimes. James's cartoon-style ink and watercolor illustrations, reminiscent of Quentin Blake's drawings, add charm and humor. A final spread depicts and labels the many instruments in Clementine's kit, including a thermometer, a tongue depressor, and "emergency toffees." The only disappointment is the depiction of the children's pretend play (she is the nurse, he is the superhero), which reinforces traditional gender-normative behavior. While the author misses an opportunity to present a more expansive field of future occupations for the young protagonist, it is otherwise a sweetly funny sibling story.-Kiera Parrott, Darien Library, CT (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
A girl with a nurturing nature discovers how much her family really needs her in this gently humorous story from James (George Flies South). When Clementine receives her dream birthday gift-a nurse's outfit and first-aid kit-she can't wait to begin her rounds, taking care of everyone. After enthusiastically bandaging Dad's stubbed toe, Mom's headache, and her dog Wellington's (presumed) sore paw with yards upon yards of bandages, Nurse Clementine sets her sights on her rambunctious younger brother, Tommy, seen hurtling down the stairs in roller skates, goggles, and cape. Tommy, however, declines any medical attention, even as he spectacularly bumps and bounces off the furniture. But when Tommy gets himself into a scrape in which he does indeed need a helping hand, Nurse Clementine comes to the rescue. James's ink-and-watercolor vignettes capture the exuberance of children pursuing their passions as well as playful family dynamics that many readers will find familiar. The ample white space and loosely rendered artwork, coupled with James's understated and quietly funny narration, give the story a pleasant airiness. Ages 3-6. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
On her birthday, Clementine Brown gets a new first-aid kit. "'It's just what I wanted,' she said. 'You can call me Nurse Clementine from now on!'" Her ACE bandages heal everything from headaches to stubbed toes to hurt paws. While her parents and dog are somewhat willing patients, little brother Tommy is less compliant -- until he truly needs her help. James's airy watercolors are restrained only by his gestural pen-and-ink lines: posture and facial expressions, especially eyes, are loosely and wonderfully drawn, allowing the young reader to catch nuances of Clementine's mood. Ample white space and an oversized font focus the reader on the family drama, altering subtly when our heroine goes to the rescue of her brother: the smaller visual vignettes change to full-page spreads, with yellow and light browns interrupted by the red shirt of the flying, roller-skating Tommy. Later, when Clementine realizes that there is no one left to take care of, another full page -- this time, a walled-in yard -- nearly overwhelms the slumping girl. Young readers who love to play pretend with their siblings will recognize the inevitable ebb and flow and will smile at the humorous resolution. An extra smile is added after the final page: James includes a couple of pages illustrating the contents of the first-aid kit, including chocolate and emergency toffees. First, do no harm! robin l. smith (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Clementine receives a first-aid kit (complete with otoscope, tongue depressor and reflex hammer!) as a birthday present and assumes a new identity: Nurse Clementine. Minor injuries and ailments (her dad's stubbed toe and her mom's headache) require thorough examinations and generous application of bandages. Pen, ink and watercolor illustrations appear on roomy white pages that flatter James' gestural black lines and palette of muted terra cottas, sandy yellows, and subdued blues and greens. Multiple scenes surface on double-page spreads, floating cheerily in a placid white ocean. Eyes move easily between these islands of image and the well-placed (and -spaced) text, making this read fast and loose--a lot like the nimble artwork. Clementine's quick exchanges with little brother Tommy, shown scattered across the page, work particularly well as visual banter. Tommy has no use for Nurse Clementine, but he quickly calls for his big sister when he gets stuck in a tree. Brothers and sisters will appreciate authentic family friction (Tommy's "Leave me alone!") and the kindness exchanged after Clementine's rescue mission and Tommy's scrape ("You can bandage it if you like"). Pleasant pictures for pretend-play fanatics; a sweet story for siblings. (Picture book. 3-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In the latest picture book from prolific British author-illustrator James, a family amusingly indulges a little girl who wants to be a nurse. Her parents agree to be bandaged up for some run-of-the-mill ailments: Dad's stubbed toe and Mom's headache. Even the dog lets Clementine put a bandage on his perfectly fine front paw. Her little brother, Tommy, is naturally a bit harder to pin down; he believes himself to be a superhero who doesn't need to be fixed. James surrounds most of his watercolor-and-ink illustrations with plenty of white space, the better to appreciate the comic nuances. The scenes seem cleverly dashed off, but they are, like Quentin Blake's deceptively simple figures, highly expressive, both for the emotions on the family's faces and for the way the pictures help tell the story. With gentle but comic exaggeration, James shows action (Tommy roller-skating down a plank on the stairs) and reaction (Tommy hitting the front door). Children will not worry, of course, since Nurse Clementine is ready to step in when someone gets hurt.--Nolan, Abby Copyright 2010 Booklist