Nurse Clementine

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