Lucinda Belinda Melinda McCool

K-Gr 2-Once again, the creative minds of Willis and Ross have delivered a finely tuned, amusing story with an important message for kids. Lucinda Belinda Melinda McCool is one of those girls who knows she is perfectly primped and believes that everyone else will benefit from her wisdom. So she files nails, tapes back ears, and, in general, gives her advice. Only, as the pictures reveal, it is unwanted, and after a while, people start to avoid her. Still, she plows on, determined "to make the whole world a more beautiful place." Even when she meets a big, blue, hairy, scary monster—is she deterred? No. She gives it a makeover, believing that this will transform it both inside and out. It is at this point that the bubbly tone pays off. Readers won't see this darkly humorous ending coming, and because of this, its message is driven home. Appearance isn't everything, and you certainly shouldn't judge someone's character on looks alone. Willis and Ross are at the top of their game; the pace is easygoing, the use of space fits the story, appropriate words are emphasized with a different font, the rhyme is excellent, and Ross's style is snazzy. Every element coalesces into a strong whole, great for both larger group settings and more intimate ones.