Clara Ann Cookie

March 29, 1999
Ziefert and Bolam (previously paired for I Swapped My Dog) buoyantly reroute a familiar morning saga, namely, a child who wakes up grumpy. It's time to get up and dress, but Clara Ann Cookie is not cooperating: "Mother said, `Will!'/ Clara said, `Won't!'/ Mother said, `Do!'/ Clara said, `Don't!'" Each spread contains just enough to focus the viewer's attention: Mother offering up a jumper on a hanger, a large mirrored wardrobe, a dog whose responses mime Clara's and, of course, the sour-faced heroine. Clara's unflappable mother suggests a "face-making" game (looking mad, scary, ugly, etc.) that works to distract Clara so that she doesn't realize she is putting on her clothes one by one. Ziefert's nimble rhyming verse underscores the power of Clara's changing emotions, and Bolam's illustrations put them into context--her pared-down style does full justice to Clara's expressions, and gives equal emphasis to Clara's surroundings. While the compositions are minimally furnished, they sing with complementary patterns (striped stockings, checkered bedspread, geometric rug). The story picks up momentum as Clara prances with a "snooty" face, and later dances and giggles with her dog; in the end Clara strikes a celebratory pose, wearing even her jacket and shoes. It's a small joke, but a good-natured one, and young children are likely to enjoy it. Ages 3-8.

April 1, 1999
PreS-A story in rhyme about a little girl who balks at getting dressed in the morning, until her mother distracts her by making up a game. By having Clara make various faces in the mirror, ranging from "very mean" to "very mad" to "sick" to "happy and silly," the little girl becomes so preoccupied that before long, with her mother's assistance, she is fully dressed and ready to go. Full-page illustrations in bright colors capture the behavior of the recalcitrant child and the patient resourcefulness of the mother. Children will readily identify with Clara, while parents of preschoolers may be gently amused by a trick they could try on their own stubborn offspring. Slight, but probably applicable in many situations.-Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY

March 1, 1999
Ages 3^-6. Clara Ann Cookie, who apparently got up on the wrong side of the bed, flatly refuses to get dressed and bursts into tears when she fights with her mom. Lucky for Clara Ann, Mom knows just what to do: she turns dressing into a wonderful game with the mirror on Clara's closet door, a game that not only helps the child get ready for the day but also improves her mood. Although not always smooth, the rhyming text is light and funny. Bolam's illustrations, with black lines defining shapes and conveying simple facial expressions, eschew fussy details. Tender but not sweet, they are in keeping with the genuine feel of the story, which validates those bad moods all children experience from time to time and makes it clear such sad, angry feelings will eventually go away. For another take on the subject, try William Steig's "Pete's a Pizza," a 1998 "Booklist" Editors' Choice. ((Reviewed March 1, 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)

July 1, 1999
Clara Ann has no interest in getting dressed, so her mother invents a game in which Clara Ann makes faces to express different emotions--in the meantime, her mother surreptitiously helps her get dressed. The bright paintings don't always show the scared or angry faces the girl is supposed to be making but are otherwise quite lively. Though a bit forced, the rhyming text is appealing.

(Copyright 1999 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)