Baby Billy's disposition will depend on whether the mustache he was born with grows into a good-guy 'stache or a bad-guy 'stache. Through a series of facial hair transformations, Billy goes from a noble cowboy to a "cereal" criminal thrown in baby jail. Ang's astute visual irony shows that even in his best mustachioed forms toddler Billy is a terror. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Outlaw or lawmanthe mustache will reveal the truth! "When Baby Billy was born, his family noticed something odd: / He had a mustache." When they ask the nurse what it could mean, she answers that they'll have to wait to "see whether it turns out to be a good-guy mustache or a bad-guy mustache." At first, Billy's a cowboy, protecting his cattle (teddy bear) from attack (by the family dog) and caring for injured animals (his torn bear). Obviously a good-guy mustache! He becomes a "ringleader. A Spanish painter. A sword fighter. And finally / A man of the law." But as he grows into toddlerhood, his mustache begins to curl at the ends and becomes a bad-guy mustache! After some cat burglary, "cereal" crime and train robbery (including the track), he's caught and thrown in jail (a barred crib). After ages, his mother busts him out, and his parents explain that everyone has "a bad-mustache day" every once in a while. Heos' simple and silly metaphorical tale of the terrible twos will definitely entertain parents and children older than Billy. Twos will, at least, giggle over every page of the digitally created, jewel-eyed, cartoon illustrations, with their mix of Saturday-morning slapstick, dramatic comic-book angles and mustachioed babies. Occasional badness has never been so good. (Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

It's apparent right from the start: Baby Billy has been born with a mustache. When asked what it means, the nurse replies that it depends on whether it's a good-guy mustache or a bad-guy mustache. At first, it's good. He becomes a toddler lawman, catching thieves with their hands in the cookie jar. But as his mustache grows and curls up at the ends, Billy becomes bad. Very bad. Throughout, the text relies on puns that the intended audience may not catch as Billy becomes a cat burglar and then a cereal criminal. What children will delight in, however, is Ang's sturdy digital artwork, which gives her characters the heft of wooden toys even as they zip around the page. The pictures wring every bit of fun and humor from the story, with Billy taking on many mustachioed personas including painter, pilot, and cowboy (good) as well as train robber (bad). The intriguingly designed book shows Billy from many angles, often on the move, sometimes behind (crib) bars, and full of personality. The surprise ending accents the fun. A mustached baby will surely make audiences howl during read-alouds.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist

From mustache parties to Movember, upper lip hair is the accessory du jour, and why should babies be left out of the fun? When Billy is born with a mustache, a helpful nurse tells his folks, "You'll just have to wait and see whether it is a good-guy mustache or a bad-guy mustache." As Billy graduates to toddlerdom, his mustache appears to be a force for good: as a "man of the law" (complete with reflective sunglasses and badge), Billy "stopped speeders... outlawed poker... and caught thieves red-handed," writes Heos (Stronger Than Steel). Never mind that his actions are completely annoying and disruptive to his siblings. When Billy's mustache begins to grow and curl, it leads him into "a life of dreadful crime," requiring jail time (or crib time, anyway) to straighten him out. Ang (I Will Not Read This Book) has a blast portraying Billy as hero, villain, and everything in between (with facial hair worthy of Tom Selleck or Snidely Whiplash, as needed); her digital illustrations have the warmth of acrylic painting, and the book's oddball sense of humor is unflagging. Ages 4-8. Agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

K-Gr 1-This nonsense picture book is about a baby who is born with a mustache. As Billy grows up, the mustache informs his various identities: cowboy, ringleader, Spanish painter, sword fighter, and man of the law. But then, it grows and curls and becomes a bad-guy mustache. Billy then becomes a cereal criminal, a bank robber, and a cat burglar, and gets thrown in jail. Fortunately, his parents are able to reassure him that everyone has a bad-mustache day. Billy becomes a good guy again and scoots off to play with his new neighbor, a little bearded guy. Digitally rendered illustrations are saturated matte cartoons. For the most part, they mirror the text, although the humor is often in the contradictions; while the narrator claims that "everyone loved having Officer Billy around," for example, his sister and brother glare at him for ruining their play. Quirky, silly fun.-Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.