The correction of misconceptions has never been so much fun.
When a bear wakes up hungry from his winter nap, a beehive and its honey seem to be the perfect answer to his problem—but what about the bee?
While Bear has never seen a bee, he knows they “are terrible monsters! They are big, and they have large teeth, and they have sharp claws, and they never share their honey!” He explains this to a nearby bee. (The “bees” Bear imagines are green alien-looking creatures sporting horns and curling proboscises.) But as Bee points out, one quality per spread, Bear shares all those characteristics with bees, at which point Bear dissolves into tears: He’s a bee! Bee quickly corrects Bear’s mistake and reveals what he is, lack of teeth and claws and all. And as for sharing honey…he is happy to. Short sentences with simple vocabulary and lots of repetition make this a good choice for beginning readers, who can use the illustrations’ clues to puzzle out more challenging words. Front endpapers and the dedication and copyright pages make a pleasing visual beginning to this story. Best of all, Ruzzier’s pacing is impeccable, adding to the suspense of Bear’s discovery and the sweet start of the duo’s friendship. The digitally colored pen-and-ink illustrations are simple and uncluttered, keeping the focus on the two expressive friends and making this a great choice for sharing with groups.
The correction of misconceptions has never been so much fun. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: March 19, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4231-5957-5
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Jan. 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2013
Great for storytime or for little monkeys who need encouragement to run around.
Every little monkey needs to get up and move!
“Sleepy Little Monkey / Won’t get out of bed. // Mama called the Doctor / And the Doctor said: / ‘Apple Juice, / Orange Juice, / Gooseberry Pies— / Monkey needs / some exercise!’ ” Little Monkey pops out of bed and, after dressing, does some quick calisthenics. “First you get the rhythm of the head: / Ding-Dong! // Have you got the rhythm of the head? / Ding-Dong!” A sway of the head accompanies each ding-dong. Then there’s a clap and a stomp. There’s some hip shaking. “Put them all together / You’ll be feeling so much better.” Monkey goes through the movements forward and backward and gives a cheer. “Spunky Little Monkey / Ready for the day. / Come on, Monkey— / LET’S GO PLAY!” A frequent collaborator of the deceased Martin’s, Sampson turns out a rhythmic invitation to wiggle in the morning. The text's catchy enough that little monkeys will want to hear it again and simple enough they’ll learn it quickly. Won’s big, bright digital illustrations (made from scanned watercolor washes) feature an adorable, rosy-cheeked monkey of indeterminate gender in jean shorts and striped T-shirt going through the motions before running off with animal friends. It may be a bit unclear exactly what motions are called for each time, but Little Monkey's moving, and that's the point.
Great for storytime or for little monkeys who need encouragement to run around. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-545-77643-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
“Beary” cute and endearing; a bedtime charmer.
Can you bear a cute bedtime story?
A night-capped brown bear stars in this adorable interactive story intended to help parents lull their little ones to sleep. Turns out those little ones are supposed to get Bear ready for a peaceful night’s slumber. The diminutive ursine is first introduced as having had a “big picnic.” Now a “very full and very tired” Bear needs a bath. This requires youngsters to shake the book vigorously to ensure Bear gets his tub “super-duper-bubbly.” Readers are invited to pop the bubbles, then to “FLAP the book like a fan” to towel Bear off. Just as Bear drifts off, youngsters having aided this effort by rocking the book, a blue monster wakes Bear up—and kids are urged to manipulate the book and perform other activities—e.g., wagging a finger, yawning, imagining five sheep, then singing them a lullaby—before Bear and a now-well-behaved Monster (and most of the sheep) finally settle down for the night. Children will be thoroughly entertained by these humorous shenanigans and, parents can only hope, feel pooped enough to easily drop off to sleep themselves, having dispatched Bear and company snugly off to dreamland. The sweet, colorful, lively illustrations incorporate large, capitalized onomatopoeic words and “instructions” for maneuvering the book; set in various fonts, these heighten visual interest and the fun. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
“Beary” cute and endearing; a bedtime charmer. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2023
ISBN: 9780593703991
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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