Betty Goes Bananas

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