Little Bear Brushes His Teeth (PLB $14.90; paper $8.95; Mar. 1997; 32 pp.; PLB 0-7613-0190-9; paper 0-7613-0230-1): Little Bear is not happy about his first encounter with toothbrushes and paste: ``Blech! Ptooey! This is horrible!'' He fancies himself a soldier, who doesn't need to brush anyway. When the mother's entreaties don't work, the father is enlisted, but he succeeds only by roaring. A lightbulb clicks on in Mama Bear's head: Why not depict bacteria as an army battling Little Bear's teeth? ``Pass me my sword,'' commands Little Bear. Using a hook to overcome life's early trials makes this book a stronger effort than the companion volume, Little Bear Goes to Kindergarten (0-7613-0231-X), which relies on trickery. Sobat's warm artwork adds a comforting touch. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: March 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-7613-0190-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Millbrook
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1997
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A regrettably awkward introduction to yoga.
When a yogi moves in next door, Emily learns enough to help him when he gets stuck.
Emily wonders why her new neighbor, Albert, “twist[s] himself into all kinds of strange positions on his front lawn.” He tells her about yoga and the mantra “om,” explaining, “It’s a magic word that everything understands….It helps me feel quiet and relaxed.” Emily tries it for herself but doesn’t fully realize its power until she helps Albert when he gets “stuck.” While this could be read figuratively, illustrations show Albert as literally “all twisted up,” with his legs and arms like twisted taffy and sweat beads on his face. This seems to poke fun, as does the “Dude! You’re totally stuck!” offered by a passing lifeguard. He and others try to help and struggle to figure out what Albert means when he moans “O…!” Nothing helps—not the phone suggested by the lifeguard, the garden gnome a police officer brings nor the poem of the librarian. There’s an odd dissonance in the humor—Albert seems to be genuinely suffering, and the others’ buffoonery, however well-intentioned, seems ill-placed. Once Emily steps in and says, “Ommmmmm,” Albert relaxes, and his arms and legs come “unstuck.” This inspires everyone to say “om” and use relaxation and yoga when they get stuck—figuratively or otherwise.
A regrettably awkward introduction to yoga. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-897476-35-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simply Read
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014
A nonessential addition to the evening storytime stack.
Everybody needs to sleep.
Superheroes, doctors, construction workers…they all need sleep. So do princesses, pirates, and scientists. Every time they turn the page little readers will see an adult role model submitting to slumber’s call. The final pages are dedicated to two children going to bed. The text is formed with quartets in an (occasionally stumbling) aabb rhyme scheme that details each character’s day before bedtime: “Fixing owies big and small, / Broken bones from brother brawls, / Giving every patient their best, / Even doctors need to rest.” The commercial-looking illustrations employ muted colors that will ease little readers to restful states when coupled with the rhyming pattern. The compositions are clean with minimal line and large swaths of color. The range of occupations is commendable, but the diversity less so. There’s only one major nonwhite face here among the adults (a black police officer) and just three women (a doctor, a princess, and a mother). The doctor treats a brown-skinned child, but the two children that stand in for readers are both white. The trade edition includes a “sleep reward chart” and stickers for little ones who need encouragement; both features are absent from the library edition.
A nonessential addition to the evening storytime stack. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-55806-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
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