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Sometimes ISBN: 9780745962696
Elliott, Rebecca
Published by Lion Hudson Plc, 2011
We first met Toby and his sister Clemmie in 'Just Because'. Clemmie is disabled and uses a wheelchair; she can't talk or run about, but she smiles a lot, and she and Toby are very close. In this book, we discover that Clemmie 'sometimes' has to stay in hospital, and Toby goes along to help make her special hospital bed into a boat to sail away 'to distant lands'. He also eats some of her food - though not her peas - because Clemmie is fed through a 'magic belly tube'. Together they sneak into hospital their pet bug Simon. Sometimes Clemmie is very ill indeed, but she makes Toby feel better by holding his hand very tightly. Families who share something of the same difficulties will find Toby and Clemmie's story poignant but positive, and with Toby, will be able to say: 'Clemmie is the best sister and I love her. And not just sometimes. All times.' The illustrations are outstanding. Lot of bright, messy, colour background with the two children centre stage, along with outsize detail that is all part of Toby's active imagination - giant animals, cupcakes and sweets, planets and space ships. There is nothing sad about this book. These two children love each other dearly and share in ways that others could not. An enlightened and tender picture of disability.
Age: 3+