A picture book offers a clever poem about a bear’s wardrobe to share with preschoolers or to present to young independent...
A black bear with a square head and body (and no hair) prepares for winter in this rhyming story by debut author Kallman.
As winter approaches, this rare, hairless bear (whose name, Harry, is only revealed on his shirt) understandably gets cold. He begins to gather his warm clothing: first a pair of mittens, then a vest when he can’t find his jacket, then a pair of jeans. Frequently, Harry can’t locate what’s he’s looking for and has to improvise. He discovers shoes with holes in them, for example, so he makes sure to wear socks inside to cover his toes. When his hat is too small, he adds a scarf; covered with the mismatched clothing, “He’s happy and toasty / from his nose to his feet.” Unlike a normal bear, he gets ready to hibernate in a rocking chair in his home filled with plenty of everyday human items: a bicycle, an alarm clock, a bookshelf, a family photo (featuring Harry’s mom and dad, who are also square bears), a toy train track, and a large chest of drawers with a tall mirror. The poem, which scans smoothly and is filled with an easily accessible vocabulary for newly independent readers, is reminiscent of the traditional “Fuzzy Wuzzy” tongue twister. Children are sure to giggle as Harry makes substitutions to his original clothing plans, and a quiz in the back helps young lap readers increase their visual literacy, gathering clues from Livshits’ colorful paintings to learn more about the silly story. While Harry isn’t really a big square beast—he’s more like two squares stacked atop each other—he possesses a lot of personality, and his chaotic, multicolored, full-of-holes clothing looks undeniably cozy as he’s wrapped up in a warm blue blanket. A final set of four stanzas emphasizes that differences are good, but unfortunately lacks a smooth transition; the earlier verses about winter stand effectively on their own without a tacked-on lesson.
A picture book offers a clever poem about a bear’s wardrobe to share with preschoolers or to present to young independent readers to enjoy on their own.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-0-9968525-0-0
Page Count: -
Publisher: Blasko Publishing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In her first children's book, Parton (the country music star) turns one of her songs into a saccharine tale about a girl who is so poor that her mama has to sew her a patchwork coat when the weather turns cold. (Joseph and his coat of many colors are mentioned but never explained.) Despite the girl's love for her coat, she is teased in school, which she counters by trying to explain to her classmates ``that one is only poor/if they choose to be.'' The logic here is as flawed as the grammar, and Sutton's illustrations, while competent, show a well-dressed, happy rural family who look anything but poor. The text is both clumsy and irrelevent (it ends with ``Through life I've remained happy/and good luck is on my side./I have everything that anyone/could ever want from life.'') An apparently autobiographical song that has a hard time standing on its own as a compelling children's story. (Picture book. All ages)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1994
ISBN: 0-06-023413-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1994
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Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
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