Busy Betty

PreS-Gr 1--Bespectacled Betty, a spunky character in Witherspoon's own image, is a whirlwind of activity. After introducing herself and talking at length about how endlessly busy she is, Betty decides to give her smelly dog a bath because her friend Mae is coming over. Drawing on a memory of watching the groomers do it, she gathers a garden hose, an inflatable pool, and some bubbles, making an enormous mess in the process, just in time for brown-haired Mae to arrive for their play date. Luckily for Betty, Mae's pragmatic focus turns Betty's mistakes into the neighborhood dog-washing business. Yan's illustrations feature appealing cartoonish characters with oversized heads and large eyes, complementing the ebullient text that's interspersed with many idiosyncratic expressions involving biscuits. Witherspoon's willingness to make herself the fall girl in this tale helps put it over; despite the statement that "being busy is a great way to be," Betty's own frenzied activities cannot succeed without Mae's idea or calmer demeanor. This is a fun and high-spirited story for the fans of "Fancy Nancy," "Pinkalicious," or "Freckleface Strawberry." VERDICT A book that will undoubtedly find its way to many collections owing to the popularity of its author and the sweetness of its protagonist.--Yelena Voysey

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. (Oct.)