Bear’s ravenous appetite is the focus of this rollicking follow-up to Wilson’s Bear Snores On (2001). Upon awakening from his winter siesta, Bear is beset by a voracious hunger. Although his woodland friends attempt to assuage the bruin’s cravings, Mouse’s offering of berries, Hare’s clover, and Badger’s catch of the day do little to quiet the grumbling of the behemoth’s belly. While Bear is out foraging, the rest of his friends prepare a feast fit for a famished friend of epic proportions. Wilson’s cheerfully irreverent tale pays homage to another hungry bear, known for his penchant for honey, in a tongue-in-cheek scene where the formerly svelte Bear can no longer fit through his den’s opening to reach the tantalizing meal inside. Satiated at last by his friend’s bountiful springtime picnic, the satisfied Bear soon drifts off to sleep. Wilson’s use of the repetitive refrain “Bear wants more” teases readers’ appetites for more—of the story—neatly building the anticipation for the tale’s surprise ending. The sing-song rhythm of the rhyming couplets lends sprightliness to the ebullient tale. Chapman’s acrylic paintings sparkle with the freshness of the vernal season; vibrant, varying shades of greens drench the pages in a riot of blossoming hues. Bear is rendered as appealing as ever; this lovable lump of soft brown fur is as cozy and comforting as a well-loved teddy. Fans will enjoy the fun of revisiting with this convivial pack of forest friends. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-689-84509-X
Page Count: 40
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2002
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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