FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Oh, how we love Miss Clarice Bean. With her mop of blonde hair and excited eyes, she is breath of fresh air. We have come to expect the unexpected from this vivacious youngster, and Clarice does not disappoint in this eco-minded tale.

While learning about planet Earth in school, she is assigned a project on the environment. With no inspiration for how to begin, and desperately trying to avoid her partner, Robert Granger, who wants to do a project on who walks faster, a snail or a worm, Clarice focuses her attention on her brother, Kurt. Distressed, Kurt relates a newspaper headline: "Tree to Be Chopped Down on Navarino Street." and decides to protest by camping out in the tree. This leads to quite a good-humored family affair, with the whole clan sitting in the tree, complete with posters that say "Free the Tree." When Clarice's teacher, Mrs. Wilberton, scolds her for being late and failing to bring in a project, Clarice explains, "I've been up till all hours, saving the planet on my street." Clarice's project? Being an eco-warrior.

Author-illustrator Lauren Child pulls out all the stops in this wonderfully wacky and Earth-conscious tale. Her trademark collage illustrations have never been more creative, and her scribbly drawings add movement and a quirky twist to every layout. The text itself is another medium for evoking spirit and joy -- Child uses a variety of fonts in all sizes to express emotion. Fans of Clarice Bean will be familiar with her bright-eyed approach to life and her unconventional, and often hilarious, thoughts. Ms. Bean is a true force to be reckoned with -- and we can't wait to see whose feathers she ruffles next. (Amy Barkat)

ANNOTATION

When Clarice has to do a school project on the environment, she and her family become eco-warriors in an attempt to save a tree on their street.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Sometimes I think gravity is a pity," says Clarice Bean, who is learning all about planet Earth in school. When Mrs. Wilberton assigns a project called The Environment, Clarice's ever-active brain leaps to the holes in the sky caused by her sister's hairspray, and to the nature safari that's in her brother's bedroom. But when she learns that a big tree right on Navarino Street is about to be chopped to pieces, Clarice has no choice but to join her quirky family up in the tree's branches, eat spaghetti, and save the day.

In a welcome new installment in the Clarice Bean escapades, Lauren Child makes a clear case for ecoaction -- and gives the cause of saving the planet a hilarious new spin.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The star of Clarice Bean, That's Me and Clarice Bean, Guess Who's Babysitting? returns for a third adventure, What Planet Are You From, Clarice Bean? by Lauren Child. When she learns a neighborhood tree is about to be chopped down, the heroine's environmental assignment takes on new meaning as she joins her entire family for a spaghetti-eating sit-in amongst its branches. The mixed-media and collage illustrations heighten the hilarity. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature - Karen Leggett

Written from the point of view of a young girl learning about the Earth, we are reminded of the delightfully curious questions and comments that children have about the natural phenomena adults take for granted. "Our planet Earth is large compared to Pluto, but compared to the sun, Earth is a peppercorn." "It doesn't feel like we are standing on something round" is written in the round, with other phrases sprinkled all over the pages in different fonts and shapes according to their meaning. Robert, the boy next door, is mostly a nuisance until he stands up for Clarice at the end; Grandpa loves nature, especially Australia, where you can drive for "squillions of days without noticing a single supermarket;" and Clarice's brother Kurt becomes an ecowarrior to save a tree. The whole family joins Kurt in the threatened tree project while Clarice insists that her snail and worm project is not finished because she has been "up till all hours, saving the planet on our street." Robert confirms the story to the very skeptical teacher "and that is absolutely the only time Robert Granger has been useful, ever." The mixed media illustrations, including collage, paint and ink, are bright and whimsical. This is a clever and humorous yet very serious introduction to ecology and caring about the environment. 2001, Candlewick Press,

School Library Journal

Gr 1-5-Clarice Bean is back with a unique slant on gravity, relationships, and the environment. When the feisty girl (who thinks gravity is a pity) needs to come up with a science project for Mrs. Wilberton's class, she inadvertently becomes an ecowarrior, thanks to her adolescent brother. Kurt, as Clarice explains it, is too depressed to even chew his food when he learns that a neighborhood tree is to be chopped down. Novice protesters, he and a friend camp out beneath it. Clarice, her little brother Minal, and her friend Noah (who can draw anything except camels and horses) provide posters and join the older boys, attracting the local media. In the end, even stoic Mrs. Wilberton can't resist a slight smile when she hears of Clarice's involvement in the protest. Once again, Child hits the mark with her swirling, multi-font text and quirky, colorful illustrations that mirror her protagonist's astute observations. Each page is artfully designed with a mix of pencil-and-ink drawings and photo-collage. Clarice has a voice that children will identify with and delight in, making this a must for most collections.-Carol L. MacKay, Camrose Public Library, Alberta, Canada Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews