Pick of the Day: Beatrice Spells Some Lulus and Learns to Write a Letter

BEST, Cari. Beatrice Spells Some Lulus and Learns to Write a Letter. illus. by Giselle Potter. 40p. Farrar/Margaret Ferguson. 2013. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-374-39904-7. LC 2012015337.
Gr 1-3–Once Beatrice figures out how to spell, she doesn’t want to stop. With the support of her grandma, she spells everywhere and anywhere. Around town she spends her time correcting the myriad spelling errors she finds. At school she tries to start a spelling club, but her friends aren’t interested. A disheartened Beatrice stops spelling for a whole week, until she comes up with a clever plan. She turns the class Show and Tell into Show and Spell, and then tells the class about her pet T-A-R-A-N-T-U-L-A Rose. Show and Spell takes the school by storm and soon Beatrice and her friends are spelling anywhere, at any time, and correcting errors together. Beatrice then writes a letter to Nanny Hannah, thanking her for giving her the spelling bug. This wordy picture book will introduce children not only to the joys of spelling but also to words like “lulu” and “crackerjack.” Potter’s folk-arty illustrations depict the story’s action and emotion well, but feel a little dated. This book will find a ready audience among the spelling crowd and might encourage others to join them.–Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH