Betty's birthday

Betty throws a birthday party. Betty, a plump, bright yellow bird wearing large, purple glasses, gazes out at readers from the title page. On the first page, Betty stands--sans glasses--atop a cutaway view of an enormous three-story house that includes an in-ground pool. "Can you guess which room is Betty's room?" asks an unseen narrator. The next page shows Betty in her cluttered bedroom. Betty is about to celebrate her 6th birthday, but she can't find her glasses. Asked to help spot them, little ones will enjoy studying the brightly colored disarray until they find them. The spare, droll text continues, accompanied by humorous art that fills each page with outlined, raucously colored shapes. Betty picks out an outfit, helps uniformed koalas to greet amiable, anthropomorphic animal guests (and one apparent extraterrestrial), leads her guests in party games such as the piñata and scavenger hunt, and offers refreshments--including a birthday cake that surprises everyone. Along the way, the interactive text invokes different skills from readers: seeking and finding, reasoning, and counting, as well as giving their opinions. The questions will have readers slowing down to savor the art, which abounds with funny details. This tale may be too stimulating for bedtime, but it's sure to delight little ones all the same; emergent readers may want to read it alongside a younger sibling--with an adult on hand to explain some of the cultural and geographical references. A party of a book. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.