An Amazon Best Book of the MonthA Barnes + Noble Most Anticipated Kids’ BookA Kids’ Indie Next PickItty Bitty Betty Blob tries to be bad, like a good little monster—but she's NOT GOOD at being bad! This social-emotional learning picture book shows kids ages 4 - 8 that being yourself is more than enough. A perfect Halloween gift!
ADORABLE ART WITH MASSIVE KID APPEAL: for fans of animated features like
Turning Red or
The Owl House will love the humor and art in
Itty Bitty Betty Blob.
FRESH TAKE ON FAMILIAR THEME: Monsters have been done over and over, but when is the last time you read a book about a blob who was trying to look more scary for her class photo?
REASSURING MESSAGE WITH A BIG DOSE OF HUMOR: You don’t have to try so hard to be like everyone else, being yourself is enough!
ADORABLY CATCHY NAME: Just saying “Itty Bitty Betty Blob” is fun and will makes everyone smile.
FANTASTIC CREATIVE TEAM: Constance Lombardo is the author of
Tiny Spoon vs Little Fork. She has a delightful sense of humor and her own quirky take on the world. Micah Player has a big, gregarious personality and is a joy to know and speak to.
It's monster picture day again! Itty Bitty Betty Blob sits in front of the mirror practicing her growling for the camera. But for Betty growling is not so easy. She's not a typical monster, and she doesn't love scaring anyone. What does Betty love? Dancing and rainbows and cute furry creatures. So when Betty's mom hands her a perfectly horrible scaly black dress to wear on picture day, Betty isn't sure. Of course she wants to make mom happy, so she heads off to school with high hopes, practicing her growling all the way there... and that's when Betty makes a discovery that feels just right.
On sale: June 4, 2024
Age: 4-8 years
Grade: Preschool - 3
Page count: 40 Pages
ISBN: 9781662640148
Reading level: Lexile: AD420L | Fountas/Pinnell: M
Constance Lombardo began drawing when she was 10 years old, inspired in part by the Illustrators Annuals her dad brought home from the advertising agency where he worked, and in part by her sister doing a drawing and getting lots of attention. She’s the author/illustrator of the middle grade Mr. Puffball series (HarperCollins) the picture book, Everybody Says Meow, and Hippo Park's hilarious
Tiny Spoon vs. Little Fork. She lives in Asheville, NC with her family. @conlombardowrites
Micah Player began his illustration career desiging and illustrating for Paul Frank Industries. He is the author/illustrator of the picture books Chloe, Instead and the Lately Lily series (Chronicle Books). He is the illustrator more recently of two books by Lucky Diaz: Palatero Man and La Guitarrista (Harper). He lives in a little house beneath a giant tree in the Utah mountains, with a lovely schoolteacher (and wife) named Stephanie. They are the parents of two kids, one Yorkshire terrier, and several Casio keyboards. Micah's Instagram, where he shares his own illustrations and words express his feelings about the current state of the world, and is a terrific place to get to know him. @micahplayer
★ "Constance Lombardo’s straightforward, sweetly witty prose will have readers rooting for Betty as well as nervously holding their breath on her behalf as she dares to embrace being different. Micah Player’s boldly drawn, emotion-infused illustrations expertly embody everything from Ghoultington Academy’s imposing gothic architecture to the puffs’ extreme cuteness and manic energy. There are a lot of fun little details for itty bitty bibliophiles to discover upon rereads too. Itty Bitty Betty Blob’s nicely balanced combination of humor, emotion and inspiration makes it an absolute treat of a read—a warm and wonderful reminder to celebrate our differences and dare to share joy with others." —
BookPage, starred review"Children will enjoy the humor…and will be heartened by Betty’s willingness to embrace what makes her different...A light touch delivers an increasingly common but important message." —
Kirkus Reviews
“A ‘sweet-tempered be-yourself’ tale.”
—Publishers Weekly
"Itty Bitty Betty Blob is not your typical monster, being a small, round pink creature who loves rainbows, flowers, dancing, and singing...Most of the illustrations are in black, white, and gray, whereas Betty appears pink in several pictures. Humorous artwork reveals Betty’s body flattening out during sleep, shower time, and while sliding under a log in the forest. Youngsters will get a kick out of this latest tale about just being yourself."
—Booklist
"I laughed, I cried, I love Betty Blob! Be Yourself and joy will follow."
—Bex, Books Are Magic (Brooklyn, NY)
"A great book to show that joy and happiness can be contagious if we just be who we are. 10 out of 10, this book is a beautiful masterpiece!" —
Donna,
McLean & Eakin (Petoskey, MI)"Okay, I'm in love! Itty Bitty Betty Blob, you are perfectly precious just as you are!"
—Fred, Oblong Books (Rhinebeck, NY)