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Product Description
Product Description
This is the story of ups and downs, and tangles, in the life of the keen mountain climber, Clara Cliff. She marries, has children, divorces, remarries, has more children and all in all has more than the usual quota of family fun and adventure.
About the Author
Allan Ahlberg is one of Britain's most successful authors. With his late wife, Janet, he has produced such prize-winning titles as EACH PEACH PEAR PLUM and PEEPO. His poetry collection, HEARD IT IN THE PLAYGROUND, won the Signal Poetry Award. Allan lives in Leicestershire.
Fritz Wegner was born in Vienna and works as a freelance illustrator and as a teacher. He has collaborated with Allan Ahlberg on many titles, including HEARD IT IN THE PLAYGROUND. He lives in London.
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Every morning Clara Cliff gets up. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Every morning Clara Cliff gets up. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Very disappointing purchase. I had several of the Happy Families series when I was a child in the early 80s - I bought this thinking it would be along the same lines. My 20m old son loves being read the classics like Miss Wobble the Waitress or Mr. Biff the Boxer, so I thought I'd add to his collection. This book, along with at least two others I mistakenly purchased (Vole the Vet and Track the Train) are about divorce/single parents etc. Is this to make kids from messed up families feel better?!It's as though the publisher said there were too many 'happy families' in the series; we need some dysfunctional ones to be up-to-date. This book is didactic and depressing. It's about divorce; searching for love etc. Completely out of the character of the series and for the wrong age group in any event. I note this one was published in 1996, considerably later than the better ones. It's such a shame; this book does not have the jolly, childish and somewhat ridiculous story one would expect from this series. Be warned.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was actually quite cross when this book was sent home with my daughter from school. If you want to discover what is wrong with society read this book. It is the story of a woman who likes climbing - fine... But this woman then discards her husband with such shocking dismissiveness. "Clara and Clifford shout a lot, cry a lot - and get a divorce." She then meets man number 2.
I know life is complex and I am by no means a prude, but I do believe that children should not be given the message that marriages can be just thrown away on a whim. Nowhere in the book does it present the idea that Clara or her husband actually try to work at the marriage or work out their differences. This gives the impression that marriage breakdown is not only common but inevitable.
If you want to have a useful discussion with a 7 year old why having such a disposable attitude to relationships - especially when kids are involved - is very wrong, or to discuss how everyone has problems but you need to try and resolve these not run away from them, then this book is for you.
One of the most disgusting parts of this narrative was that of course there was no upset whatsoever and no effects on the kids. I found myself thinking was a selfish, irresponsible book this was and I am thoroughly disgusted with the fact that it is recommended reading in school. There is no sense of reality or morality and I think that is a bad example to children generally, but also hugely damaging to kids going through a divorce. So if they don't accept mum and dad splitting up in a breezy fashion there's obviously something wrong with them... It would have been far preferable to show that when Clara did split up with her husband and she was sad and it was difficult, and he was sad, and the kids were sad, and it took a long time before things were back to normal. To show an example of how husband and Clara worked hard to save the marriage; then worked hard to limit the effect on the kids after they divorced.
This book is an apologist PC story that, as much as it angers me for it moral ambiguity and lack of realism, also has absolutely no appeal for a child. It is a form of PC indoctrination that seeks to drip feed acceptance of relationship breakdown as being normal, ok and not a big deal. But it is also hugely damaging to kids in all kinds of ways, including the way it belittles the serious effects of divorce on children.
I know life is complex and I am by no means a prude, but I do believe that children should not be given the message that marriages can be just thrown away on a whim. Nowhere in the book does it present the idea that Clara or her husband actually try to work at the marriage or work out their differences. This gives the impression that marriage breakdown is not only common but inevitable.
If you want to have a useful discussion with a 7 year old why having such a disposable attitude to relationships - especially when kids are involved - is very wrong, or to discuss how everyone has problems but you need to try and resolve these not run away from them, then this book is for you.
One of the most disgusting parts of this narrative was that of course there was no upset whatsoever and no effects on the kids. I found myself thinking was a selfish, irresponsible book this was and I am thoroughly disgusted with the fact that it is recommended reading in school. There is no sense of reality or morality and I think that is a bad example to children generally, but also hugely damaging to kids going through a divorce. So if they don't accept mum and dad splitting up in a breezy fashion there's obviously something wrong with them... It would have been far preferable to show that when Clara did split up with her husband and she was sad and it was difficult, and he was sad, and the kids were sad, and it took a long time before things were back to normal. To show an example of how husband and Clara worked hard to save the marriage; then worked hard to limit the effect on the kids after they divorced.
This book is an apologist PC story that, as much as it angers me for it moral ambiguity and lack of realism, also has absolutely no appeal for a child. It is a form of PC indoctrination that seeks to drip feed acceptance of relationship breakdown as being normal, ok and not a big deal. But it is also hugely damaging to kids in all kinds of ways, including the way it belittles the serious effects of divorce on children.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I loved this book, and read it to my kids loads of times. It's funny, clever, and lovely, without being maudling. So families split up, for lots of reasons. This book is about that not being the end of the world.
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