Review — Billy Brown and the Belly Button Beastie

© Elizabeth Yetter — 12/18/2007

The Belly Button Beastie has stolen Billy Brown's perfectly round, brown belly button. Billy Brown and the Belly Button Beastie by Bobby and Sherry Norfolk (August House, 2008, ISBN: 0-87483-831-2) is a silly story about a little boy who doesn’t listen to his mom when she warns him to keep the covers up while he sleeps. Written for young children, ages 4 to 5, the Norfolk’s have created a hilariously brilliant bedtime story that will delight children and their parents.

The Story
Night after night, Billy Brown lies in bed and, after a twist and a turn, kicks the covers off his bed. His mother warns him about catching a cold if he doesn’t keep the covers up, but Billy Brown still twists and turns and kicks off the covers. Finally, his mother warns him that, if he doesn’t keep the covers on at night, the Belly Button Beastie will come along and steal his belly button. Ha! Billy Brown is nearly certain that his mom is telling a tall tale.

That night he twists and turns and kicks off the covers. Fast asleep, Billy Brown never hears the Belly Button Beastie come into his room. He never feels the Belly Button Beastie steal his belly button right off his perfectly brown belly.

The next morning Billy Brown gets out of bed and goes to the kitchen. He pours himself a glass of milk and begins to drink it. All of a sudden he feels something cold and wet leak out of his belly. The milk is pouring right out of his belly button hole! Billy Brown doesn’t know what to do. He can’t tell his mom about his missing belly button because he doesn’t want to admit that she was right.

Billy Brown dresses and goes to school. He shows his friends his missing belly button and they try to help him close the belly button hole. They use tape, bubblegum, and even worms to stop up the belly button hole, but nothing stays. Finally, one of Billy Brown’s friends hands him a piece of chocolate. It matches Billy Brown’s skin color and looks almost exactly like Billy Brown’s perfect belly button, but it smells a whole lot better. Suddenly, Billy Brown has an idea. He is going to trick the Belly Button Beastie into giving him back his real belly button.

Fun Bedtime Story
Available in May 2008, Billy Brown and the Belly Button Beastie is one of those books that your child will want you to read over and over again. The giggles and yucks throughout the entire belly button hunt are memories in the making.

Title Details: Billy Brown and the Belly Button Beastie
Author: Bobby Norfolk
Author: Sherry Norfolk
Illustrator: Baird Hoffmire
Interest Level: GR PreK-3

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Recently recognized as one of "America's 101 Top Independent Publishers," August House is a highly-acclaimed and award-winning multimedia publisher of children's stories and folktale anthologies. August House's is based in Atlanta, GA.

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