The Talented Clementine

Written by: Sara Pennypacker

Pictures by: Marla Frazee

     The Talented Clementine is the second book in the series following the spunky, empathetic, and independent 3rd-grader, Clementine.  Clementine's school is having a fundraiser, in which all of the 3rd and 4th grade students must perform in the "Talent-Palooza, Night of the Stars."  All of the kids are bursting with excitement, except for Clementine, who can't find a talent.  The story follows Clementine's hilarious and adventure-filled search for any talent to perform in the show.  While trying to learn other students' talents, Clementine's efforts seem hopeless; however, she eventually surprises herself by finding her place to shine.

         The story is told from Clementine's perspective, so Pennypacker works to incorporate language and thinking patterns of children to develop Clementine's character in this series.  Pennypacker frequently uses a stream-of-consciousness style to narrate Clementine's thought process and inquisitive nature.  There are also many examples of made-up words within the story to increase the believability that readers are entering this child's mind.  For example, Clementine states, "I'm lucky that way: astoundishing ideas are always popping into my head, and I don't' even have to use my brains to get them there" (p. 20).  Additionally, Clementine's voice highlights her sense of humor that many children would relate to and be entertained by.  Throughout the story, Clementine refers to her brother by various vegetable names (ex: Cabbage, Onion, Potato) instead of calling him by his real name; this is a clear demonstration of her imaginative humor.  Pennypacker also highlights Clementine's creative thinking, which mirrors that of many young girls, in scenes such as the deception of braces as "teeth-bracelets" (p. 20).  All of these examples of authentic children's speech patterns help to engage readers in Clementine's world and become attached to her quickly.

         Readers will find many pen and ink style illustration scattered throughout the book.  Frazee's use of this cartoon-like illustration style would be especially engaging to young readers, because it is so familiar.  Clementine states that she is "practically a famous artist" within the story, drawing readers' attention to her own artwork (a sketch of a sphinx) on the following page (p. 22-23).  Clementine's artwork fits with the rest of Frazee's cartoon-style illustrations and works to create a cohesive whole with the text.

         Pennypacker's writing style allows Clementine's voice to shine brightly, as the reader immediately becomes entranced in the mind of this imaginative 3rd-grade girl.  Reading this realistic fiction book brought back many memories of my own childhood because the character is reminiscent of those in earlier series, such as Junie B. Jones and Ramona Quimby.  Clementine's sense of humor and voice would make this book especially engaging for younger elementary schoolers as an early chapter book.  I also think this book would make a great read aloud for young students, because the carefully crafted language captivates readers.