NURSE CLEMENTINE

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.