Fun, pleasant, and inspiring… A gleeful ode to friendship and problem-solving.
Taylor’s latest picture book, first in a planned series, takes readers on a best friends-trio’s adventurous quest as they try to complete a difficult school assignment. Usual days for Bentley, Betty and Mr. Bee are full of outdoor play and plenty of fun. When Bentley notices Betty is not her usual self, he knows something is up right away: Betty has a rather huge school assignment that is going to take a lot of time to complete. She won’t be available to play. Bentley knows he and Mr. Bee have to help. And he also knows how. The story is an incredibly effective metaphor to help young children understand the power of team-work, how solidarity is the key to success, and how it’s ok to rely on friends in times of need. The characters are delightful. Bentley, in particular, is incredibly expressive. He is a likable, adventurous, fun-loving pup, who would do anything for his “bestest not-furry human friend” Betty. The rhyming verse is simple and straightforward, and a couple of repetitive sentences, including the lyrical “It’s easy peasy. Just pose and grin a little cheesy!,” will inspire children to join in the fun and shout out their answers, making for a delightful, fun read-aloud. The story also showcases the predator and prey dynamic. Taylor’s rhyming text with largely successful scansion introduces the rest of the 19 members of “The Crew,”, each of which also brings the necessary components for a predator and prey combo, from bunny and coyote to moose and wolves: “Our crew is now a jolly nineteen, and we went/ on a quest to find the stream./ Soon we saw/ Felicity Fox and Molly Moose taking a nap./ “Hey Felicity and Molly! Can I snap your photo?”/ Betty asked./ I sang, “It’s easy peasy. Just pose and grin a little/ cheesy!” “Hmmm, yeah why not?” Molly yawned./ As long as you keep the wolves at bay, we can play/ with you today.” Eunhye Shin’s personality-laden illustrations are full of gorgeous pastel tones with clear skies, green grass, and a horde of animals adeptly brought to life. Readers will linger over the beautiful spreads that depict Bentley, Betty, Mr. Bee and the whole crew and try to find the hidden pictures of an African violet, a little cardinal as well as numerous predator animals mentioned in the story. A charming tale full of Bentley-ish antics that’s sure to bring a smile.
Bentley’s Fantabulous Idea
Miki Taylor (Author), Eunhye Shin (Illustrator)
Miriam Laundry Publishing
Pub date September, 7, 2023
ISBN 978-1998816958
Price $23.99 (USD) Hardcover, $15.99 Paperback, $5.99 Kindle edition
