Delilah Darling is in the Library by Jeanne Wills, illustrated by Rosie Reeve

Has Clarice Bean got competition? Not quite... 'Delilah' makes no bones about jumping on the Bean bandwagon, most obviously in the layout and quirky text-design which scream 'CB wannabe'. Delilah is also a feisty, somewhat contrary female character, but with perhaps less of the off-the-wall humour which makes CB so appealing. On the upside, Reeve's trademark pastel colours and soft edges make the illustrations strikingly different to Lauren Child's modern, angular style, and lend the character Delilah her own distinct personality. The story itself takes place in the library, where Delilah makes a nuisance of herself, spinning tall stories from her overactive imagination. Despite my initial cynicism over the blatant stylistic imitation, I have to admit that 'Delilah' is an entertaining read, energetically written and attractively illustrated.