I’LL NEVER SHARE YOU, BLACKBOARD BEAR

Alexander adds a new tale to her much-loved series about the bear who comes to life from a drawing on a blackboard. Here, young Anthony is not happy about the prospect of having to share Blackboard Bear with a couple of neighborhood kids, Stewart and Gloria. Stewart and Gloria aren’t so happy either, and Stewart goes so far as to bully: “You’ll see, Anthony. I’ll get him. I’m bigger than you and I’m not afraid of your bear either.” Anthony and Blackboard Bear retreat to their house, where they have a powwow over the notion of sharing (only Anthony speaks during this conclave, as Blackboard Bear is ever mute): “How do you know they feel left out? Well, yes, I would too, I guess.” Then they devise a satisfactory solution. A spare and effective vote for sharing (and a good example of how to avoid a pulping), cleverly drawn by Alexander to invest the real world with watercolor dreaminess, while the fantastical bear maintains a concrete—indeed, opaque gray—presence. (Picture book. 3-6)