Busy Betty & The Perfect Christmas Present

Busy Betty & The Perfect Christmas Present

Reese Witherspoon

Xindi Yan

Puffin, 2024

40pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761047527

Betty’s mind is always busy, with one thought leading to another and her actions following so that nothing ever gets done, or if it does, it isn’t done well.  So, as Christmas approaches and she decides to give her whole family the perfect Christmas gift, it is unlikely to be as straightforward as it seems, particularly when she discovers her piggy bank is empty.

Then she remembers that she and her friend Mae had held a lemonade stand in summer when they needed money so perhaps that is the answer.  But who want lemonade on cold, snowy days?  Aha!  If not lemonade then what about cookies? But  if you’re going to make money selling something, then you need customers and who is going to come out on such wintery days/  And so it goes on until Betty not only manages to give her family the perfect present but also learns a valuable lesson about gift-giving in the process. 

This is one of the few series that has a celebrity’s name on the front that is more than that and Betty and her antics have become firm favourites with young children as she not only confronts the problems she faces but finds a way through, learning a lot about herself and life along the way.  

A worthwhile addition to the Christmas Countdown particularly in these times when expectations are high but cash is hard to come by.  Lots of opportunity to brainstorm solutions for both Betty and the students about how they can still give gifts without having to spend money, as well as considering the joy of giving.