Billy Brown and the Belly Button Beastie

Every night when Billy Brown’s mother puts him to bed, she tells him to keep the covers on his bed so he doesn’t catch cold. And every morning when she wakes him, he has kicked the covers off the bed. Knowing how proud Billy is of his belly button, his mother tells him that if he doesn’t keep the covers on the bed, the Belly Button Beastie is going to pay him a visit and steal his belly button. Billy makes a critical error when he disregards his mother’s advise. The chaos that ensues when Billy Brown gets up the next morning interferes with his morning routine and follows him to school, until he and his classmates devise a plan to get his round, brown belly button back. With a little improvisation and a lot of bravado, Billy Brown tames the Belly Button Beastie and breaks his belly-button-stealing habit for good. This whimsical, multicultural story adapted from a Japanese folktale, challenges stereotypes with a humorous retelling by the award-winning creative team of Bobby and Sherry Norfolk.

READING LEVELS: Lexile Level: 720L; Guided Reading: K

Bobby Norfolk is one of the most sought after storytellers in the country. He and his wife, Sherry, have authored five classic Anansi tales that are included in the Story Cove picture book series. Sherry Norfolk embodies the term ＂teaching artist＂. Her library background led her to writing and performing stories as an effective means of motivating children to read. When they aren’t traveling or performing at schools and festivals, the Norfolks live in St. Louis, Missouri. Baird Hoffmire is an award-winning animator, illustrator, graphic designer and exhibiting artist. He resides in Charleston, South Carolina. With a BFA in Illustration from Western Carolina University and a BFA in Media Arts and Animation from the Art Institute of Atlanta, Baird has been working as a professional artist for over 15 years. His illustrations and animated Story Cove picture books have been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of children around the world.