Betty Goes Bananas

October 13, 2014
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.

September 15, 2014
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)

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December 1, 2014

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

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