Betty Lou Blue
By Nancy Crocker; illustrated by Boris Kulikov
Every kid gets picked on for something. Frizzy hair, freckles, big nose, short legs, cross eyes, whatever. For Betty Lou, it’s her biiig feet. They’re a source of continual torment and, being shy, keep her from making friends.
But like every ugly duckling story, Betty Lou has her swan moment when those oversized extremities come in handy during a snowstorm.
Kulikov’s mixed media art, brusquely smudged in wintry hues, gives us an oversized Betty Lou who looms larger than life, as if growing in stature as she comes into her own.
Crocker’s text whisks effortlessly along, with flawless meter and rhyme that make for a pleasant way to convey a timeless message.
Rating: *\*\
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