Itty Bitty Betty Blob

Ages 4 to 8, Grades P to 3

Itty Bitty Betty Blob wants to growl for the camera on monster picture day, but every year it goes wrong. Will practice make perfect? Or can Betty find a way to be her own blobby little smiling self?

A tender, funny picture book with massive monster appeal--perfect for fans of Sweety by Andrea Zuill and classics, such as Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon and Chrysanthemum.

It's monster picture day again, and Itty Bitty Betty Blob sits in front of the mirror where she practices growling for the camera. But for Betty it's not so easy. She's not a typical monster, so she doesn't love scaring people. What she loves is dancing and rainbows and cute furry creatures. So when mom hands her a perfectly horrible scaly black dress to wear on picture day, Betty isn't sure. Of course she wants to make mom happy, so she practices her growls in the mirror, and tries to look as monstery as her school friends. She even heads off to school with high hopes, practicing all the way there. . . and that's when she makes a discovery and soon finds herself among new friends with ideas that just feel right.

About the Author

Constance Lombardo began drawing when she was 10 years old, inspired in part by the Illustrators Annuals her dad brought home from the advertising agency where he worked, and in part by her sister doing a drawing and getting lots of attention. She’s the author/illustrator of the middle grade Mr. Puffball series (HarperCollins) the picture book, Everybody Says Meow, and Hippo Park's hilarious Tiny Spoon vs. Little Fork. She lives in Asheville, NC with her family.

Author Residence: Asheville, NC

Author Hometown: Long Island, NY

Micah Player began his illustration career desiging and illustrating for Paul Frank Industries. He is the author/illustrator of the picture books Chloe, Instead and the Lately Lily series (Chronicle Books). He is the illustrator more recently of two books by Lucky Diaz: Palatero Man and La Guitarrista (Harper). He lives in a little house beneath a giant tree in the Utah mountains, with a lovely schoolteacher (and wife) named Stephanie. They are the parents of two kids, one Yorkshire terrier, and several Casio keyboards. Micah's Instagram, where he shares his own illustrations and words express his feelings about the current state of the world, and is a terrific place to get to know him. @micahplayer

Illustrator Residence:Utah