School Library Journal Starred Review

Gr 1-4-Child makes the most of every word and inch of space in this uproarious romp. Clarice, first introduced in Clarice Bean, That's Me (Candlewick, 1999), explains the commotion caused by an escaped guinea pig when her firefighter Uncle Ted stays with her, her siblings, and her grandpa while her parents are both called out of town. The artwork consists of flat, sketchy cartoon figures against bright backgrounds, a variety of text fonts that somersault and seesaw, and an occasional photograph or two added to the mix. Rather than a discordant m lange of styles, the result is a pleasing whole that plays up the characters' eccentricities and furthers the story's absurdity. A sumptuous serving of offbeat humor and illustrative invention.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

ALA Booklist (Tue May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2001)

Everyone has a favorite uncle--a grown-up kid who almost sparkles when he walks through the door. Child brilliantly captures the magic of that favorite relative in her second book about Clarice Bean, a quirky, entertainingly muddled story about families and unconditional love. Clarice's mother is off to the city, and important business is taking Dad out of town. Who will baby-sit? Clarice's older sister "would rather look after newts from Neptune." So wild and woolly, lasso loopin' Uncle Ted gets the job of looking after Clarice and Minal Cricket, her baby brother. Will family peace prevail? Only until the guinea pig Albert escapes. Searching for the missing critter turns the world upside down--even more than usual. From plot twists to humorous, freewheeling pictures with an occasional photo worked into text that sometimes swirls around the page, this kooky offering provides a romping good time.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2001)

Even firefighter Uncle Ted has to call for back-up when he baby-sits Clarice Bean and her siblings. One emergency situation follows another: the guinea pig runs away, little brother Minal Cricket gets knocked unconscious by a soccer ball, Grandad wanders off, and Minal gets his head stuck between slats of the fence. Energetic mixed-media artwork adds humor to the over-the-top story.

Kirkus Reviews

<p>Child demonstrates that her first Clarice Bean book was no fluke: Here again she produces a hip, brash Clarice, pitch-perfect and heart-winning. When both her mother and father are called away from homea"Dad on some tedious business trip, but her mother on a much more interesting errand of mercy to her policeman brother who has slipped on a donut and broken both his legsa"it is left to Uncle Ted the firefighter to keep things from flying apart at Clarice's house. While the action revolves around the disappearance of a guinea pig, Clarice is watching for her vacationing school class, and there are so many subplots and entr'actes that the story takes on the appearance of some really wild weather, like a hurricane. Mayhem reigns, but things finally return to earth, mostly in one piece. It is truly impressive how Child can create an entire personality for one of Clarice's siblings with a tossed off linea"as for Clarice's older brother: ""Make sure Kurt sees daylight at least once every 24 hours""a"while the rest of her writing has just as much brio and dash. And her artwork couldn't be more appropriate: a barely contained swarm of collage and typefaces, bits of dialogue roaming the page, and the personification of Clarice's view of her world in the portraits of her family. Something special. (Picture book. 6-10)</p>