SISSY BUTTONS TAKES CHARGE

Cecelia Beaton, better known as Sissy Buttons, is one feisty young lady. There is very little this stout-hearted girl cannot accomplish, except when it comes to tidying up. When Sissy balks at her mother’s nightly admonitions to clean up, her mother chants an inspiring mantra for her: “Just button up your buttons, / And look up in the sky. / And know there’s nothing you can’t do / If you just try and try.” An impromptu nap, occurring while Sissy contemplates her mother’s remarks, segues into a dream sequence in which Sissy’s equally plucky teddy bears lead her on a merry romp. A picnic with the flighty trio results in Sissy—in a very mom-like role—doing all the work: setting up and cleaning up the inevitable messes of the rambunctious teddies. In an effort to encourage responsibility in her charges, Sissy recites her mother’s chant, with miraculous results. Soon Sissy and the teddies learn the value of self-reliance and are happily making a scrumptious repast together. Villet’s lively illustrations adroitly mirror the off-beat tenor of the tale. The chunky figures of the child-like drawings have high eye appeal; impossibly plump butterflies in imaginative hues lazily flit across the pages while the drawings of the teddies capture the loose-limbed clumsiness of the critters. Humorously executed, this clever tale has the added benefit of possibly inspiring little ones to clean up around the house. (Picture book. 3-7)