This book was the most wonderful dose of sweetness and humor. When I wasn't laughing out loud and forcing innocent bystanders to listen as I read passages, I was moved to tears. Sometimes both happened in the same paragraph. Hilary McKay has a beautiful way with words and characters. ( )

Really good book! ( )

This time Caddy's twelve, and we learn about the year she and her three besties grow up, and the story of Permanent Rose's birth. I enjoy how the stories all bring additional depth to the entire family: Bill, and Eve, but particularly the closeness of Saffron and Indigo in this one.

Only one more Casson Family book left to read, then I'll have to start on all her other books. I hope I enjoy them as much.

And yes, my instincts were right, and Natasha is loving Saffy's Angel.

Library copy.

2013, October 21 ( )

A wonderful book, prequel to the five Casson family books. In this story, Caddy is 12, part of an inseparable group of four friends. A new baby arrives and has to stay in hospital, her life in the balance, along with Eve; so Caddy's father Bill comes back from London and attempts to organise his bohemian and chaotic household.

Very moving portrayal of the gradual maturing of Caddy herself, courageous on the outside but full of fears on the inside. Her clever friend Ruby has an internal battle too, not wanting to seem so much brighter than her friends; Beth, the 'perfect' one, doesn't feel perfect at all because she's growing so fast. And then there's Alison, who lives next door to the Cassons and doesn't like anyone much... The four girls who have been best friends since they were five find a lot of changes in their lives during the course of the book.

There's humour, much of it from five-year-old Indigo and six-year-old Saffy, as well as a new heartthrob in Caddy's school. And there are some very moving sections too.

Since this is written as a prequel, rather than being the first book in the series, we know that the baby is going to be all right.. yet the situation is still tense, and there are some unexpected situations that don't get resolved until the end.

I loved this story, almost as much as 'Saffy's Angel'. Intended for children of about eight or nine and upwards, though concerned parents should note that there are several instances of a minor swear word, mostly used for effect.
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I was very excited when I learned of this new book in the Casson family series because I adored all the other books. I enjoyed this one, but it had a different feel than the others and I didn't love it as much. There seemed to be a bit of a harder edge to it, with the mention of Eve using valium and some other such darker themes. I liked the beginning and the end more than the middle, which seemed to bog down a bit with more mention of Caddy's friends. I enjoyed more the parts about the Cassons. A good read in that it explains more about Rose's difficulties at birth, and the meaning of her paint color, "Permanent Rose" becomes evident; also elucidate Caddy's affinity for animals. Still, I laughed out loud over some of the hilarious conversations and incidents, particularly those between Indigo and Saffron. This book also gave more insight into Bill Casson; he was portrayed in a slightly kinder light. My favorite chapter was "Lost Property" because of the introduction to Caddy's caring for animals and the humor of Saffy and Indigo thinking they would help the wee bird by giving it a bath. I liked this book quite a lot, but I didn't adore it. ( )