A curious but effective blend of gentleness and energy give this book from the team that created Kiss It Better (not reviewed) the fillip it needs to catch and hold the attention of the very young. Big Bear and Little Bear are taking a train ride to Grandpa’s house. It doesn’t take long before the antsy Little Bear wants to know how long it’s going to take to get there. To stave off getting hit with the same question again and again and again, Big Bear makes Little Bear some lunch, then pulls out some crayons and coloring books, then reads her a story. Trouble is that when the trip is only half over, Big Bear’s bag of tricks is empty. Self-amusement is never a problem, though, when you can run around, so Little Bear makes speedy tracks up and down the aisle, gathering a little disapproval here and an element of surprise there, but mostly the smiles of the other passengers. Soon other young critters are joining in and time flies. Fortunately, in this instance, the train is filled with parents and children, so the failure of Big Bear to reign in the little speed demon is overlooked. A mellow tempo infuses what otherwise would be a nerve-fraying piece of travel madness, all warmly abetted by Joos’s watercolors. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-525-46701-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2001
One of three variations on a theme, aimed directly at impatient parents. Edward really can't swim yet and is the only guest at Georgina's pool party still wearing water wings; when she pops them and pushes him in, he needs to be rescued by the lifeguard. In pointed response to the plethora of books pushing early self-reliance, Wells (Max and Ruby's Midas, p. 642) offers this and two other small-format episodes—Edward Unready For School (ISBN 0-8037-1884-5) and Edward's Overwhelming Overnight (1883-7) - -featuring an anxious-looking bear who doesn't respond well to new challenges, and calm adults who bail him out. Edward never blooms; the message, made explicit for denser readers, stops at ``Not everyone is ready for the same things at the same time.'' It's a worthy thought, although, unlike Wells's Bunny Planet series (Voyage to the Bunny Planet, 1992, etc.), the plots are rudimentary and interchangeable. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-8037-1882-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A simple book—two books in one that end in the middle—with a salubrious message: ``Sometimes, you just feel happy'' and ``Sometimes, you just feel sad.'' In the first half of this book a troop of animals savors its happiness—a peacock parades while a tiger is tickled. In the other half, which must be flipped over to be read, a collection of beasts fares less well—a bear broods and a camel curls its lip. This companion to Wide Awake/So Sleepy (1994, not reviewed), with some inventive anthropomorpization, lets children know that it's okay to go with the flow. Paschkis's colorful portraits display a whimsical use of perspective and amiable animals who are expressive without being cute; the background patterns bloom in a robust palette. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-8050-3862-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1995
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