BEAR IS NEVER ALONE

Name: BEAR IS NEVER ALONE
Author: Marc Veerkamp
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5603-6

by Marc Veerkamp ; illustrated by Jeska Verstegen ; translated by Laura Watkinson ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2023

While cries for this one may not rival those of the protagonist’s fans, it will find a happy home with solitude seekers.

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An ursine pianist flees fame and finds a friend.

This elegant Dutch import centers on Bear, a piano player capable of wowing hordes of forest denizens. Alas, when he attempts to stop, the other animals will not hear of it. They harangue him, hounding him with cries of “MORE!” Pushed past the breaking point, he roars at them until only a lone zebra remains, offering to read him a story to thank him for the beautiful music. Bear refuses, then immediately recants with a gentle “Let’s be alone together.” While this ending is a bit abrupt, it is entirely possible that parents or children seeking solitude from the relentless love of others will see a bit of themselves in Bear’s plight. The real stars of the show are Verstegen’s stunning mixed-media illustrations. Almost wholly black and white, they’re shot through on occasion by a vibrant bolt of red, providing just the right measures of surreal extremes and quiet contemplation. Consider pairing with another tale of tickling the ivories in the forest: David Litchfield’s The Bear and the Piano (2015). (This book was reviewed digitally.)

While cries for this one may not rival those of the protagonist’s fans, it will find a happy home with solitude seekers. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 4, 2023

ISBN: 978-0-8028-5603-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Eerdmans

Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK LOST AND FOUND

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18, 2026

Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.

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Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.

After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.

Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026

ISBN: 9780063436121

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

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TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)