Jacqueline Wilson has the ability to tackle difficult subjects with spirit and affection but without a trace of sentimentality and without patronising the reader or her characters. This always makes her books rewarding and emotionally satisfying. In The Illustrated Mum, Wilson introduces us to Dolphin, a young girl living in the wake of her tattooed mother Marigold's manic depression. With her older sister, Star, on the brink of adulthood and facing the traumas of adolescence and her mum sinking further and further into her illness, Dol has no-one to turn to. The constant bullying at school causes her to withdraw into her own world and she begins to cope by fantasising that she is a witch. Far from being depressing or overwhelming, The Illustrated Mum features another of Wilson's classic heroines. Dol deals with the extraordinary circumstances of her life with a mixture of humour and quiet intelligence that blossoms as the situation reaches its inevitable climax. The story is suitable for ages nine and above and the running time is six hours and 25 minutes. --Susan Harrison