A placid story that provides some sense of differences in generations, economics, and geography.
Bevan, a stuffed toy bear, has belonged to many different children over the years.
Starting in a wealthy home around the turn of the 20th century, as one of many toys in a nursery belonging to three children, the bear changes homes many times. The nanny in his original home gives him to her own granddaughter, who lives in a little house before moving to a lighthouse where her father goes to work. When she grows up, she marries a rancher, and the bear goes to her son. As a teen, that boy saves his soda-fountain wages, buys a van with a psychedelic paint job, and explores the U.S. during the 1960s, and the bear dons a hippie outfit. When he falls out of the van, a dog picks him up, and Bevan finds himself living with an artist who marries a musician. Their daughter takes Bevan to summer camp, where he is left behind, ultimately winding up in a thrift store, where a mom buys him for her young daughter, a contemporary little girl who loves him just as much as the other children. Observant viewers will note objects belonging to each era on the windowsill in the latest owner’s room. The first several generations of Bevan’s owners are White, but some characters are people of color, including the newest family. The full-color paintings are softly realistic. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A placid story that provides some sense of differences in generations, economics, and geography. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5341-1110-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
Accessible, reassuring and hopeful.
This endearing picture book about a timid boy who longs to belong has an agenda but delivers its message with great sensitivity.
Brian wants to join in but is overlooked, even ostracized, by his classmates. Readers first see him alone on the front endpapers, drawing in chalk on the ground. The school scenarios are uncomfortably familiar: High-maintenance children get the teacher’s attention; team captains choose kickball players by popularity and athletic ability; chatter about birthday parties indicates they are not inclusive events. Tender illustrations rendered in glowing hues capture Brian’s isolation deftly; compared to the others and his surroundings, he appears in black and white. What saves Brian is his creativity. As he draws, Brian imagines amazing stories, including a poignant one about a superhero with the power to make friends. When a new boy takes some ribbing, it is Brian who leaves an illustrated note to make him feel better. The boy does not forget this gesture. It only takes one person noticing Brian for the others to see his talents have value; that he has something to contribute. Brian’s colors pop. In the closing endpapers, Brian’s classmates are spread around him on the ground, “wearing” his chalk-drawn wings and capes. Use this to start a discussion: The author includes suggested questions and recommended reading lists for adults and children.
Accessible, reassuring and hopeful. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-582-46450-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2013
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