ALA Booklist

Betty Bunny is anticipating her first soccer game, declaring "I am going to score 10 goals!" Alas, she doesn't score at all (but does manage to kick her shin). Betty does what many children do at this point: gives up. After much coercion from her older siblings d the promise of a participatory trophy tty digs her uniform out of the trash. She practices with her brother (his punishment for telling her she might not be any good) and, happily, practice makes perfect. This fourth title in the Betty Bunny series once again offers a gentle, funny, true-to-life perspectives on being a "handful" of a kid.

Horn Book (Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Betty Bunny is back in her fourth gentle lesson-based book. This time, when she takes up soccer, she expects to score ten goals just like that. Playing in a real game, however, is quite different. Her siblings, portrayed realistically and comically, urge her to keep practicing. Lively illustrations add to the humor of Betty's reasoning and her can-do determination.

School Library Journal (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

K-Gr 2 Betty Bunny is a handful to all when she suddenly takes a liking to soccer. She wants to become the star of her team and is positive that she can score 10 goals at her first game. When she predictably fails to meet her own unrealistic expectations, she becomes sad and sulks in the grass for the rest of the game. Betty announces that she is quitting and almost throws away all of her soccer equipment. Her siblings try to reason with her and encourage her, giving her a pep talk about not giving up. At Betty's next game, she still does not score a goal and is upset again. Her older brother Bill tells her, "Maybe you're just not that good." Her father patiently explains the importance of practice and enlists the snarky Bill to work with her. Illustrations are detailed in pencil, ink, watercolor, and gouache. Fans of the series will enjoy this newest addition. Krista Welz, North Bergen High School, NJ

Kirkus Reviews

Betty Bunny returns for a fourth entry in this successful series, focusing this time on scoring a goal for her soccer team. In the previous stories in the series, Betty's delightfully intense personality was defined through her obsession with chocolate cake, her over-the-top shopping spree in a toy store, and an incident involving lying and its consequences. These laugh-out-loud stories captured Betty's precocious intellect and strong emotions, creating a believable character with a lovable streak of creative naughtiness. Alas, this time Betty just wants to score a goal on the soccer field like all the other little animals. She makes many mistakes in her first game, with her deflated attitude further depressed by snide comments from her older brothers. After just one week of coaching by her oldest brother, Betty scores her coveted goal in the next game and feels "the happiest moment of her life"—except for the first time she ate chocolate cake. The soccer plot feels forced onto Betty rather than growing out of her distinct personality, and some of the soccer jokes, such as scoring a goal in your own net, will be understood only by those children who already play soccer. Even the illustrations seem a little forced and crowded, lacking the distinctive sparkle of the previous stories. Betty fails to score with this underinflated effort. (Picture book. 4-6)

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

Betty Bunny continues to be a -handful,- but her siblings also get some time in the spotlight in her fourth picture book, especially surly teenage brother Bill, one of the series-s unsung heroes. Betty is ready to call it quits after she doesn-t score a single goal during her first soccer game, but after Bill offers (read: is forced) to help Betty practice, she finally makes some headway. With deadpan zingers (-Kick it in your own net!- Bill encourages Betty. -A goal-s a goal-) and slyly funny artwork, Kaplan and Jorisch score once again with this one. Ages 3-5. Author-s agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. Illustrator-s agent: Wanda Nowak Creative Illustrators Agency. (Mar.)