My Name Is Elizabeth!

September 19, 2011
Gregarious Elizabeth, who pals around with her pet duck, simply adores her name. She likes that it's nine letters long, and she likes the way her mouth feels when she says it. What she doesn't like is when people call her things other than Elizabeth. "Come give your old granddad a hug, Lizzy," says grandpa (Elizabeth sighs in response). To a boy on a bicycle, she's Liz; a man delivering fruit calls her Beth; and the crossing-guard refers to her as Betsy. "Not. Even. Close," grumbles Elizabeth. Finally, she's had enough and, towering over the neighborhood like Godzilla, hollers out, "My name is Elizabeth Alfreda Roxanne Carmelita Bluebell Jones!! But you may call me Elizabeth." After that, no one gets her name wrong--except her little brother, but Elizabeth lets that one slide. A mix of spot art and larger, more developed scenes, Forsythe's matte, mixed-media illustrations have a distinctly retro vibe with their wavy ink outlines and an orange and sky-blue color scheme. Readers who take pride in their names (especially those who have had their names butchered) may be similarly moved to express that ownership vocally. Ages 3â7.

Starred review from April 15, 2011

Don't call her Betsy.

After all, though she may seem part Olivia and part Lilly (with just a smidgen of Chrysanthemum), right on the cover the protagonist declares, "My name is Elizabeth!" She then lauds the virtues of her "nine letters long" moniker, concluding, "I also like that there is a queen named after me!" Alas, Elizabeth must fend off "Lizzy," "Liz," "Beth" and "Betsy's" aplenty as her granddad, a neighborhood boy, a merchant and a crossing guard greet her with these nicknames. Never bratty, this girl simply knows who she is and what she wants to be called. Forsythe's restrained color palette and expressive line contribute to his brilliant rendering of Elizabeth's character, and his whimsical inclusion of a pet duck (unmentioned in the text) adds another layer of idiosyncratic delight. A double whammy of a punch line first shows readers that "Elizabeth" isn't quite the mouthful her full name is and then underscores her true sweetness when she acquiesces to having her heretofore-silent baby brother call her "Wizabef?" "Close enough," she thinks.

This debut picture-book offering from Dunklee and Forsythe is close enough to perfect in its tone, pacing and interplay between words and pictures: Wonderful. (Picture book. 3-7)

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October 1, 2011

PreS-Gr 1-Confident, precocious Elizabeth is very proud of her nine-letter name that she shares with a queen, but she is fed up with family, friends, and neighbors using nicknames like Lizzy, Liz, Beth, and Betsy. Finally at her breaking point, she stands in the middle of town and shouts: "My NAME is ELIZABETH Alfreda Roxanne Carmelita Bluebell Jones!!" then adding more calmly, "But you may call me Elizabeth." Everyone respects her wishes except for her baby brother. His attempt comes out as "Wizabef," which she acknowledges is close enough. The digitally rendered pen-and-ink illustrations in pale blue, bright orange, and black give the book a classic, vintage feel and perfectly complement and expand on the spare text, all contained in speech bubbles. Children who have had similar experiences will certainly relate to Elizabeth and may be inspired by her directness; others might think twice before assigning nicknames to youngsters without asking their preference first. This book will pair nicely with Kevin Henkes's Chrysanthemum (HarperCollins, 1991).-Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

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