Clementine

An energetic and creative eight-year-old, Clementine lives with her family in an apartment building and spends most of her time doing art or running around. Much of the novel’s plot centers around Clementine’s struggles navigating the world around her; she spends lots of time trying to figure out “the rules” and getting adults to see her as a good kid.

Clementine is an artist. There are pictures showing what Clementine draws throughout the book, and she spends lots of time thinking about how she might want to be an artist when she grows up. Clementine struggles with paying attention in school, since she’s always noticing “the good stuff” instead of the teacher (41). However, it is precisely this that makes her creative. Pennypacker shows readers how different people’s minds work and the unique, positive qualities that come from being creative.

Over the course of the novel, Pennypacker characterizes Clementine’s spontaneous and generous nature as being both problematic and useful. Clementine alternates between doing things that have negative consequences—like cutting Margaret’s hair or cutting her own hair—and doing things that have positive consequences—like solving the pigeon problem. Through these different moments, Pennypacker illustrates some of the behaviors of elementary-aged children as well as highlighting the ways that Clementine’s creative, big energy can be both good and bad.