Busy Betty & the Circus Surprise
By Regan McMahon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Lively homemade circus tale celebrates free play, teamwork.
Add your rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
Busy Betty gets a notion to create a circus in her backyard as a gift for her mom's birthday, and gets her best friends Mae and Jeffrey -- and her pug Frank -- to help. They have fun putting on costumes and makeup and practicing juggling and flips, but just before her parents arrive back home, her brother Bo tells her that Mom's birthday is not today but next month. Betty is crushed, but her mom insists Betty's circus is "wonderful," and she and Betty's dad invite the neighbors to come join in the fun.
Is It Any Good?
This lively story celebrates free play and creativity and shows that when working together as a team, you can accomplish great things. Betty has "a million billion ideas" and puts them to good use here, motivated by love and gratitude. Reese Witherspoon does a great job of portraying the kind of kid who gets an idea (or a million billion of them) and runs with it. And Xindi Yan's adorable, antic illustrations capture the high energy of motivated free play that delights and draws in both kids and grown-ups.
Busy Betty & the Circus Surprise is a welcome departure from books that focus on bullying and conflict among kids. Everyone gets along here, and tiny affirmations like "Jeffery is the best juggler in the world" and "Mae was the first one in our class to do a cartwheel, and now she does them all the time!" model kids showing appreciation and respect for each other in the midst of play.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the aspect of free play in Busy Betty & the Circus Surprise. Is it more fun to make up your own stuff to play with friends, or to play a board game, sports game, or video game? Have you ever put on costumes and put on a show just for fun? What did you do?
What do you know about the circus? Does a circus have to have animals? Clowns? What would you put in your circus?
How do Betty's friends help her create the circus? Why is being able to work as part of a team an important character strength?
Book Details
- Author: Reese Witherspoon
- Illustrator: Xindi Yan
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Cats, Dogs, and Mice , Great Girl Role Models
- Character Strengths: Gratitude , Teamwork
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Flamingo Books
- Publication date: October 3, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 3 - 6
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: November 1, 2023
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate