Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2002)

A small girl with large buck teeth and a funny voice has a grandmother who is just as tiny, but whose big heart and even bigger brains produce some sage advice. Armed with self-confidence, Molly Lou can stand up to any insults from the bully at her new school. While the message may be worthwhile, the watercolors of wide-eyed Molly Lou Melon resemble an unattractive Cindy Lou Who.

Kirkus Reviews

<p>Spunky Molly Lou Melon isn't going to let anything get in her way, including the fact that she is short, clutzy, buck-toothed, and has a voice like a frog. Newcomer Lovell's heroine follows her grandmother's sage wisdom to walk proudly, smile big, sing out, and believe in herself. And Molly has never needed that advice more than when her family moves. At her new school, Molly immediately becomes the target of Ronald Durkin, the bully. But leave it to Molly to transform all her "faults" into marvelous talents that get the best of Ronald Durkin, as hilariously illustrated by Catrow (Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs, p. 499, etc.). His pictures fill the pages with wild perspectives, goofy-looking kids, and hilarious details. Readers will have no trouble imagining themselves a part of the action, and Lovell makes it easy for children to chime in with several repetitive phrases. Even if Molly Lou Melon's tale is a little too good to be true, she 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. (Picture book. 4-8)</p>

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Meet Molly Lou Melon: she's "just taller than her dog," with "buck teeth that stuck out so far, she could stack pennies on them," and a voice that brings to mind "a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor." She also possesses huge insect-like eyes. In fact, young readers may actually gasp when they get a good look at the fearless first-grader in Catrow's (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head) double spread, extreme close-up portrait. Thanks to her grandmother, the protagonist possesses seemingly indomitable self-esteem—but will it survive a move to a new school and a bully named Ronald Durkin? Newcomer Lovell doesn't offer any real surprises in her fable—there's never any doubt that Molly Lou Melon will charm her classmates with her eccentric talents (which include making a paper snowflake the size of a school room), or that even Ronald Durkin will capitulate and join her fan club. What keeps the storytelling fresh is the crisp prose and the heroine's full-speed-ahead determination; the story never dallies too long on the potentially saccharine message. Catrow's full-bleed pencil-and-watercolor illustrations, awash in ripe colors and animated by slapstick exaggeration, radiate a winningly eccentric elegance. Ages 4-8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Sept.)

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.