Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lively homemade circus tale celebrates free play, teamwork.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
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 :
- Illustrator : Xindi Yan
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Animals
- 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, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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