Clementine & Mungo - Hardcover

PreS-Gr. 1. Dyer gets the sibling relationship just right in this story about a youngster who thinks his older sister knows it all. When Mungo asks Clementine a question, she always has an answer. "How do cats stay cool in summer?" They unzip their fur coats. Painters change leaves from green to red, and a dragon living in the pipes keeps the water warm. Mungo takes all this on faith, never doubting his big sister. Finally, Clementine has a question for Mungo: "At night, when it gets very dark, why don't you get scared?" The answer warms the heart: "Because I know you are always there for me, Clementine." Clementine and Mungo are two little monster children. Drawn simply in pen-and-watercolor, they are endearing in their way, but their sharp teeth and pointy ears are distracting, too. Still, the uncluttered design provides a very appealing format in which their relationship plays out. This is especially true when Mungo asks about the stars. Clementine tells him, "A huge blanket with star-shaped holes is pulled across the sky." The accompanying double-page spread shows a nighttime black blanket pierced with colored stars, its fringed corner lifted to reveal the sister and brother. Ilene Cooper
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