Lauren Child on the return of Clarice Bean in the festive book 'Think Like An Elf'

Virgin Radio

6 Dec 2021, 14:19

Many families will associate Christmas with turning the pages of Clarice Bean, and author Lauren Child joined the Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose to talk about her new festive book.

Graham started by saying there may be many parents who remember reading the first Clarice Bean book when they were little, who can now read this new book to their own children.

Lauren explained what took so long for her to return to Clarice's world: "I was always meant to write more, but then other things happen, then I did the Charlie and Lola TV thing and that took over for a while."

"Then I felt like I wanted to write older, and so I wrote a series called Ruby Redfoot and that took seven years," she exclaimed. "It's just what happens."

On Clarice's distinctive voice, Lauren joked: "This is my view of the world. I think we think the same, but you're allowed to say it if you're a child."

The new book, Think Like An Elf, is a festive joy about Clarice adapting to a quieter Christmas, which many families might relate to thanks to the pandemic.

She says the theme of the book wasn't planned: "It happened entirely by accident, because I never plot my books, I never know where they're going!"

"I just write a sentence, and I thought this child, the way she thinks, would introduce the big topic of Christmas by talking about tea towels," explains Lauren.

"So she says something like you can tell when it's getting to be Christmas, because my Mum gets out the Christmas elf tea towels.

"I realised as I was writing that was the whole point of the story, it's about adjusting your thinking. So she's very, very disappointed because her parents say that they're exhausted so they don't want lots of people to come for Christmas."

Lauren adds: "If she has 19 people for Christmas, that's 114 potatoes that you've got to peel. So her parents say if you want to do it, then you can do it. She realises Christmas is going to be a write-off, until someone talks to her and says, Well, it's all about your attitude. So think like an elf!"

Graham asked if she ever shows the books to young readers before publishing: "No, as that way madness lies!"

"If you start worrying about what every child's gonna think, it's hard. If you show it to children, they'll usually tell you what you want to hear, until afterwards when they say they thought this bit was boring," she laughed.

"There are people like my sister, I often get her to read as she's got a very good sort of editorial brain. She'll say, 'What are you trying to say? I'll say well "I'm trying to say this" and she'll say "You're not saying it!" so I'll go back in and try again."

It all worked out in the end, as the new book is adorable.

Listen to The Graham Norton Radio Show every Saturday AND Sunday from 9:30 am on Virgin Radio or catch up on-demand here.

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