Review by Booklist Review
Oh, the perils of obsession. After her first taste of chocolate cake, little Betty not only wants no other food but she literally thinks and speaks of nothing else for the rest of the day. A dinnertime tantrum amid flying veggies and mashed potatoes gets her sent to her room with no dessert at all, though her mother leaves her a piece of cake in the fridge. Next morning, Betty sneaks it into her pocket, carries it all day, and is shocked when it turns into a gooey mess. Does she learn patience or anything else from the experience? Well, no, as it turns out. Depicting a multisibling family of flop-eared bunnies in casual modern dress and settings, Jorisch's freely brushed watercolors capture Betty's fixation as well as her outsize personality. Rather than force a lesson or even try for a resolution, TV writer Kaplan simply invites readers to share, or at least enjoy, her rapture in this exuberant debut.--Peters, Joh. Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The devil's food cake is in the details of this blithe yet emotionally honest book about the eponymous rabbit, a "handful" of a child who becomes deeply enamored of chocolate cake after her first bite. Much of the book's humor depends upon Betty's misunderstandings-especially the meanings of "handful" ("Betty Bunny knew that her mother and father loved her, and so being a handful must be very, very good") and patience. When Betty's mother insists she eat her healthy dinner before her cake, Betty throws a tantrum before agreeing to be more patient tomorrow. (She quickly reveals she doesn't quite have the concept down when she stealthily slips a piece of cake into her pocket, where it turns into a "brown goopy mess.") Readers will delight in feeling older and wiser than Betty, and both Jorisch (New Year at the Pier) and debut talent Kaplan demonstrate a sure handle on feisty modern family dynamics, whether in Betty's dreamy gaze as she declares, "I am going to marry chocolate cake," or her older brother's surly retort: "Whatever.... But you're going to have really weird-looking kids." Ages 3-5. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Betty Bunny is, according to her parents, a handful. This includes being a picky eater. Still, the first time she's coaxed into trying chocolate cake, it's love at first bite. She loves it so much, she wants to marry it. She can't wait for her next piece, which leads to a host of very funny misadventures. This is the tale of a child who needs to learn patience but can't quite get the hang of it. Kaplan fills the book with exuberance and laugh-out-loud dialogue. The text tends to be wordy and repetitive, though, and the net result is a book that may be too long for its intended audience. This problem is largely alleviated by Jorisch's adorable watercolor-gouache illustrations, which add loads of kid appeal. Postures, facial expressions, and situations are depicted with skill and humor- and the chocolate cake looks pretty good, too. A fun, surprise ending will leave readers smiling.-Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Betty Bunny doesn't like new foods as a rule. When she tastes chocolate cake, though, it's love at first bite: "I am going to marry chocolate cake!" She ferrets away a slice and winds up with a chocolate mess in her pocket. Jorisch renders the bunny's reaction perfectly with a delicate line, colorful palette, and enough detail to match Kaplan's clever text. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A spunky bunny girl, whimsical watercolor illustrations and a laugh-out-loud plot are the key ingredients for this sweet and satisfying treat of a story."Betty Bunny was a handful." That's what her mother always tells her, and the author and illustrator show readers just how much of a handful she is, capturing her irrepressible personality (which includes a streak of creative naughtiness). Little Betty, the youngest child of four, becomes enraptured with chocolate cake, announcing she loves it so much, she wants to marry it. Her brothers jump right in to tease her, her sister tries to help and her mom offers calm solutions, all with minimal text set in an attractive type with key phrases in larger, bold font. Kaplan, a television writer and producer, has an exquisite sense of dramatic pacing and comedic timing, as well as a deep understanding of a 5-year-old bunny girl's emotions. Betty has intense feelings: She truly loves her chocolate cake, and she is truly furious at her siblings when they tease her. The author captures the flavor of sibling interactions as well, with each of the three older rabbit children interacting with Betty in characteristic ways, including some hilarious smart-aleck comments from the bunny brothers. Betty not only wants to marry her chocolate cake, she wants to keep it close to her too, finding out the hard way that cake doesn't belong in your pocket...or your sock.Delicious. (Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
