Busy Betty
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
A New York Times bestseller!
From Academy Award–winning actress, founder, and bestselling author, Reese Witherspoon, comes Busy Betty, a story about a creative, curious, and exuberant young girl who has big plans and an even bigger heart.
Busy Betty has always been busy . . . even when she was just a baby!
When Betty gives Frank a big hug, she realizes he needs a bath, PRONTO! Her best friend, Mae, is coming over, and Betty can’t have the smelliest dog in the whole world! But giving Frank a bath is harder than she thought and just when everything seems impossible, with Mae’s help, Betty learns she can accomplish anything with perseverance, teamwork, and one great idea.
From Reese Witherspoon comes a smart and larger-than-life character who encourages young readers to celebrate what makes them unique and realize that anything is possible!
Praise for Busy Betty:
"A fun and high-spirited story for the fans of Fancy Nancy, Pinkalicious, or Freckleface Strawberry."--School Library Journal
"An earnest and unabashed celebration of youthful entrepreneurial zeal that feels very of the moment." --Publishers Weekly
"Extreme angles effectively convey a sense of perpetual motion. . . . Witherspoon’s rollicking text never holds back . . . . as Betty says, “Being busy is a great way to be.” Young readers are sure to agree."--Kirkus reviews
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Actress turned book club superstar Reese Witherspoon pens her first story for preschoolers in this quick, fun read. Betty is a determined little girl who’s always got something to do. When she realizes that her beloved dog, Frank, has gotten really stinky just before her best friend, Mae, comes over for a playdate, she decides to give him a bath. Which, it turns out, is not as easy as it looks when the dog groomer does it. The story is adorable, funny, and relatable, and Xindi Yan’s illustrations are just as charming as Betty herself. Kids will want to hear this story again and again.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An impetuous child's enthusiasm finds a worthy channel in this peppy picture book by Witherspoon (Whiskey in a Teacup, for adults), whose heroine's boundless, big-cartwheel energy is both adorable and a little unnerving. "Sweet cinnamon biscuits, I love being busy!" proclaims young Betty, who enjoys "DOING things and MAKING things and playing ALL day long!" In polished cartooning by Yan (The Wishing Tree), Betty—portrayed with blond pigtails, pale skin, and big round spectacles—decides she's watched enough dog-washing at the local pet store to scrub the family's recalcitrant pug, Frank. Both Betty and Frank get increasingly messy as they tussle in an inflatable pool and Frank knocks into canisters of glitter, but Betty's pale-skinned, dark-haired best friend Mae is able to peer through the chaos and see a great idea: "a bubble-blowing-dog-running-squeaky-clean-canine-scrubbing... BUSINESS!" Text leans heavily into positive messaging ("You have to focus to finish") and wordplay ("When we pool our ideas, we can do anything!" says Betty, pushing the pool into place). It may test some readers' tolerance for perkiness, but it's an earnest and unabashed celebration of youthful entrepreneurial zeal that feels very of the moment. Ages 3–7. Author's agent: Cait Hoyt, CAA. Illustrator's agent: Christy Ewers, CAT Agency.
