BETTY AND THE MYSTERIOUS VISITOR

During her summer visit to Grandma, Betty cleverly scares off the badger that’s wreaking nocturnal havoc on Acorn Hollows, the neighborhood’s community garden.

Betty loves the Hollows; she swings in the tall oak tree and helps Grandma pick berries for the jam she sells at the village market. One morning, Betty spies a mess: Something’s torn up the grass. That evening, after their return from an excellent day at the market, Betty catches a glimpse of the creature from her bedroom window. She describes it to Grandma, who suspects a badger. “Once they find a place to dig for food, they come back again and again.” Indeed, the nightly damage continues. As Betty hatches a plan to frighten off the badger, Twist’s occasional rhymes give way to several rhymed lines that describe Betty’s preparations. She transforms her gathered supplies—sticks, string, old clothes, and objects that whirl, twinkle, and peal—into a scarecrow. That night, Betty glimpses her noisy creation frightening the badger away, “back to its den and its safe little place.” Next morning, Grandma welcomes the news as worthy of celebrating with hot chocolate in the garden. New flowers will grow—and meanwhile, it’s time to make more jam. Sutton’s bright watercolors elevate the story with cheerful scenes of the garden, village, and market. Betty and Grandma are light-skinned; their community is diverse.

A satisfying tale of a child’s resourcefulness.