Beatrice’s mother is the obstacle at the centre of book one, and she is drawn with more sympathy than the nickname suggests. She is not cruel. She is practical, tidy and quite sure that a nine-year-old girl announcing she will drive buses for a living is a problem to be managed rather than a plan to be supported.
Every child who has been told to be sensible will recognise her instantly. So will most of the adults reading aloud.
