Little Bear becomes a master of equivocation to avoid confronting his fears. He's not frightened by the night—he just isn't tired. He's not scared of the water—he just feels cold. And he's not afraid of bees—he just doesn't like honey. ``Scaredy Bear, Scaredy Bear!'' his siblings tease. Then, when a tiny cub stuck up in a tree calls out for help, Little Bear's own fears melt away. He rescues the wee bear and after being praised by its parent, feels confident enough to take on a buzzing hive and get himself some honey. Fuzzy watercolors give the book a suitably cozy feel, and even the bees—with their big red clown noses and stingers shaped like chocolate chips—seem more likely to snuggle than scare. Predictable cuddliness, but comforting to preschoolers about to commence their own foraging. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-531-09546-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1997
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
``Rose couldn't sleep. She lay in bed with her eyes open''- -because the shadows are moving and a wolf seems to be lurking behind her toy box. Her terror sends her flying into her parents' room in an amusing spread. Papa's tactic to rid Rose of her fear is to suggest that the wolf would not want to be inside their house, and the two of them imagine several scenarios the wolf would not like: brushing its teeth, clipping its nails, beribboning its hair. Rose drifts off to sleep, convinced that the wolf would prefer to be ``playing outside with his friends, under the stars.'' With so many entries in the something's-in-my- room genre, it's hard to make the case for this one. Stevenson (Grandpa's House, 1994, etc.) uses a palette of green, purple, and blue to create a spooky atmosphere, which evaporates as soon as the wolf comes into the light, and rendering its scariness— and its preference for staying in or out—moot. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Aug. 19, 1997
ISBN: 0-395-74213-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1997
Oliver likes french fries, pretty much to the exclusion of all other food. So when he goes to spend a week at his grandparents' home, they promise him his favorites only if he can find the taters in the garden. Whatever else he pulls up during the search he must eat each night for dinner. Thus Oliver is introduced to carrots, spinach, rhubarb, cabbage, beets, and peas, all of which he thinks are delicious. Introducing young readers to the bounty and magic of a garden, French (Under the Moon, 1994, etc.) establishes a particularly fine point of departure, in no small part the result of Bartlett's stunning illustrations in her first book. Deploying the fiery richness of acrylic paints, her broad, voluptuous brushstrokes convey extraordinary sophistication and character; she captures gestures succinctly, as when Oliver expectantly clutches his foot behind his back, hopping about as his grandfather digs up a dozen dearly won potatoes from the patch. Generous and nourishing fare. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-531-09462-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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