Molly Lou Melon may be tiny, clumsy, buck-toothed, and with a voice "like a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor," but she doesn't mind. Her grandmother has utmost confidence in her, and tells her at every turn to believe in herself. "Sing out clear and strong and the world will cry tears of joy," Grandma says. But Molly Lou's self-assurance is put to the test when she moves to a new town, away from her friends and beloved grandmother. During her first week of school, Ronald Durkin taunts Molly Lou Melon in the dull-witted but sharp-edged manner of career bullies, calling her "shrimpo" and "bucky-toothed beaver." Our heroine barely flinches as she systematically sets out to prove herself, and Ronald Durkin ends up feeling pretty foolish. First-time author Patty Lovell's message is clear and simple, and the theme is familiar enough to strike chords with every reader, young and old. David Catrow, illustrator of Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs, Rotten Teeth, and other popular picture books, depicts a very weird-looking, very appealing little girl with warmth and cartoonish humor. Any child who is less than perfect will cheer with joy to meet Molly Lou Melon, a girl who doesn't let anything--or anyone--shake her belief in herself. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter
From School Library Journal
K-Gr 3-Although first-grader Molly Lou Melon is extremely short, has buck teeth you can stack pennies on and a bull-frog voice, and is clumsy, her grandmother keeps reminding her that if she believes in herself, the world will believe in her, too. When Molly Lou's family moves, and she encounters the school bully, Ronald Durkin, she remembers her grandmother's advice. When he calls her "SHRIMPO!" she beats him at football and, full of self-confidence, meets his other taunts with an astounding array of talents. The intricate snowflake she cuts wins Ronald's admiration and his gift of a stacking penny for her teeth. Catrow's pencil and neon-green-tinged watercolor illustrations suit the exuberant, over-the-top quality of the protagonist and text. The book's message, however, may leave readers wondering if the way to deal with a bully is just to be better at everything, which might not be feasible for many children. Judith Caseley's Bully (Greenwillow, 2001) is more realistic. Still, Lovell's story is good fun, and to believe in oneself, in all one's variability, is a laudable theme.Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Review
"Leave it to Molly to transform all her 'faults' into marvelous talents.. . . Catrow's pictures fill the pages with wild perspectives, goofy-looking kids, and hilarious details. . . . Leaves readers with the feeling that anything can be accomplished if you are the best person you can be and make the most of your gifts." (Kirkus Reviews)
"What keeps the storytelling fresh is the crisp prose and the heroine's full-spead-ahead determination. . . . Catrow's full-bleed pencil-and-watercolor illustrations, awash in ripe colors and animated by slapstick exaggeration, radiate a winningly eccentric elegance." (Publishers Weekly)
"The text is fast and funny, and Molly Lou is a fetching little heroine. Catrow's palette is intense. . . . This will make a comic readaloud." (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books)
About the Author
Patty Lovell's dad told her the best stories when she was a little girl, inspiring her to write her own. Patty has taught elementary school in London, Virginia, Harlem, and on Long Island. She currently teaches first grade and lives in Glen Cove, New York.
David Catrow is the illustrator of many picture books including Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon and its sequel Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon, written by Patty Lovell; I Wanna Iguana and its two companion books I Wanna New Room and I Wanna Go Home, written by Karen Kaufman Orloff; Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel;The Middle Child Blues by Kristyn Crow; and We the Kids: the Preamble to the Constitution. He lives in Ohio with his wife, Deborah.
