Review by New York Times Review
Frustration! When you're a hungry baby gorilla and you see a banana, you want to eat it. But how does the dam thing open? Betty tries hands, teeth and feet, then brings out the big guns: wails, kicks and screams. It takes words of wisdom from a gentlemanly toucan, and a few false starts, before Betty gets her snack. This simple, close-up tale, brightly illustrated by Antony with crayonlike strokes of black with soft pink and yellow, speaks to the foot-stamping, banana-gobbling toddler in all of us. OH MY, OH NO! By Lisa Charrier. Illustrated by Agnès Domergue. Translated by William Rodarmor. 22 pp. Running Press. $15.95. (Picture book; ages 2 to 5) For our rosy-cheeked protagonist in striped tights and wispy pigtails, Mommy just doesn't make sense. Why is she shocked by the child's attempts to imitate her by drinking coffee, making a cake, putting on makeup? Their crossed wires lead to many domestic mishaps, until connection comes with a hug and a smile. It's a familiar motif given a French spin, with watercolor illustrations as bright and creamy as macarons, and a mom who wears high heels at home. WAITING IS NOT EASY! Written and illustrated by Mo Willems. 57 pp. Hyperion. $8.99. (Early reader; ages 2 to 7) No one takes life's complications quite as hard as Willems's lovably neurotic elephant Gerald, and in his latest outing with his best friend, Piggie, he's in for some exquisite torture: Piggie tells him he has a surprise coming, but he'll have to wait. Gerald badgers his pal, letting loose gargantuan groans. But a funny thing happens: Time passes, bringing a breathtaking gift that couldn't possibly have come any sooner. WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU'RE SENT TO YOUR ROOM By Ann Stott. Illustrated by Stephen Gilpin. 32 pp. Candlewick. $15.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) Step 1: Write a letter saying you're sorry. Step 2: Find snacks stashed in preparation "for times like these." The timeout is a stubborn feature of modern childhood, and wild-eyed Ben's amusing guide to surviving room-bound stretches is part practicality - update birthday list; sort baseball cards - part unapologetic anarchy - make faces at brother out the window; wait for him to do something even worse than what you did. TUMBLEWEED BABY By Anna Myers. Illustrated by Charles Vess. 32 pp. Abrams. $16.95. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) On the dusty "edge of Nowhere, Texas," a family with five kids find a baby girl in a tumbleweed. They take her home, and what a food-flinging, couch-jumping live wire she turns out to be, flailing her way out of bathand story time. The sister who used to be littlest wants to give her up, but the tenacious clan "loved almost all the wildness right out of her." Vess's illustrations make hardscrabble surroundings come alive with the rough joy of a child whose exuberance won't be contained. ONLINE A slide show of this week's illustrated books at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [November 2, 2014]
Review by Booklist Review
Betty, an adorable pint-size gorilla in a pink dress and matching hair bow, toddles over to a delicious-looking banana. Her sweet demeanor quickly turns sour, however, when she can't peel it. The pale background turns bright red as Betty cries, sniffs, kicks, and screams in true temper-tantrum fashion. Betty finally calms down, but when a seemingly helpful toucan peels the banana for her, Betty's face starts to contort again as another meltdown begins; she wanted to do it herself! The cycle repeats when Betty's banana breaks in half, though this time, the wise bird flees the scene. Uncluttered illustrations feature only Betty, Mr. Toucan, and the rascally bananas. Black graphite pencil along with yellow, pink, and those red outbursts combine with minimal lines to deftly evoke a myriad of emotions as Betty goes on her emotional roller coaster. Young ones will surely recognize themselves and may even crave a banana of their own after reading this strong U.S. debut from Antony.--Mazza, April Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Newcomer Antony's picture book stars Betty, a small, stumpy gorilla in a pink dress and a pretty bow. Her fur, drawn with soft graphite, looks velvety enough to touch. Wandering into a spread from the left, she spies a banana, but she can't open it, and her frustration leads to a toddler-style meltdown: "Betty cried, WAAAAAA!" and sniffled, SNIFF! SNIFF! and kicked, BANG! BANG! and screamed, AAAAAA!" To punch up the force of her emotions, the backdrop is an angry red. Fortunately, there's a voice of reason in Betty's life: "There is no need for that," says Mr. Toucan, who's not much bigger than the banana, but who has the restraint Betty lacks. "Watch. I will show you how to peel the banana." Unfortunately, Betty's the kind of girl who likes to peel her own bananas. Cue another tantrum, and another round of smiles from readers. Betty eventually gets to eat her prize, but her temper still needs work. Antony understands pacing and rhythm, and his gentle black lines capture Betty's emotions with a few deft strokes; it's a promising debut. Ages 2-5. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A young gorilla is unable to open a banana she wants to eat and proceeds to cry, kick, sniffle, and scream about it. A calm Mr. Toucan arrives to help, but that only angers Betty more; she wants to peel the fruit herself. As she finally prepares to savor her snack, it breaks, resulting in yet another massive freak out. Several times Mr. Toucan reminds Betty that her behavior is unnecessary, and Betty is ultimately able to enjoy her banana. Naturally, she promptly stumbles upon another on the very last page, leaving readers to imagine Betty going bananas all over again. The banana-print end papers set the tone for the book. Black, white, pink, and red are the only other colors used, so the bright, classic yellow stands out and contrasts nicely with Betty's black fur. The texture and style of the graphite pencil illustrations are reminiscent of children's crayon drawings, and the repetition and silliness of Betty's dramatic behavior allow for reader participation and discussion. A lively companion to Molly Bang's When Sophie Gets Angry... (Scholastic, 2004).-Whitney LeBlanc, Staten Island Academy, NY (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Betty, a hungry baby gorilla, wants to eat a banana, but it won't open; a tantrum ensues. A friendly toucan assures her that such strong emotions are not necessary and offers his assistance. Then another banana-centric problem arises... Bright spreads full of action and humor feature bulky Betty and banana-shaped Mr. Toucan, a pair whose dynamic will be familiar to preschoolers and their parents. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Betty's hunger gets the better of her when she faces a banana she cannot open. Betty, a baby gorilla, is like little folks everywhere when she is hungry. She wants to eat now. That banana seems promising, but Betty is stymied: How can she get past the peel? She tries using her hands, teeth and feet, but nothing works. Frustrated, Betty erupts, crying, screaming and banging her feet. A helpful toucan shows her how to peel the desired fruit, but Betty wants to peel it herself. She falls into another tantrum about that, and she melts down again when the banana breaks. The backgrounds of the spreads reflect Betty's moods: fully saturated red when Betty has lost it and gentle yellows and whites when she calms herself. Children, whose emotions can run a roller coaster, will have no choice but to giggle at Betty's behavior. Mr. Toucan, playing the role of the reasonable but understanding adult, shifts his eye knowingly at readers, adding to the fun. Childlike illustrations in pencil and graphite sticks on banana paper (naturally!) draw children into Betty's life with humor. She looks innocent in her pink dress with matching bow, but her smile disappears quickly when her body collapses in exasperation. Teachers and parents of short-fused toddlers will read this over and over. Serve with bananas. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
