Horrible Bear!

Starred review from January 25, 2016
With wit and tenderness, Dyckman and OHora, the duo behind 2015’s Wolfie the Bunny, introduce two creatures who are absolutely furious with each other. A bear inadvertently crushes a kite that belongs to a girl with a mop of red hair. “Horrible bear!” she shouts, and stomps home. Angry at the girl’s unfair condemnation (“She barged in!”) Bear hatches a plan to get back at her: “It was a Horrible Bear idea.” True to the way people process feelings at different speeds, Horrible Bear arrives at the girl’s house just as she accidentally damages a toy and realizes that the bear’s misdeed was an accident, too. “I’m sorry!” she tells him, “And all the horrible went right out of Bear.” OHora works his goofy magic everywhere, observing the way anger causes ridiculous mishaps (the bear stomps through the girl’s laundry and arrives festooned with clothespins) and affects innocent bystanders (a puzzled, picnicking goat). Dyckman and OHora portray genuine forgiveness without a hint of moralizing. Ages 3–6. Author’s agent: Scott Treimel, Scott Treimel N.Y. Illustrator’s agent: Sean McCarthy, Sean McCarthy Literary Agency.

Starred review from January 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-In the mind of a child, mistakes are often misinterpreted as malfeasance, and the resultant anger can be contagious. Dyckman writes a simple story about just such a mistake. A little girl loses her kite in a bear's den, and when he rolls over in his sleep, he crushes it and becomes a HORRIBLE BEAR! Though the little girl seems to have some strategies to deal with anger (reading, painting, talking it out), it isn't until she mistakenly tears her own stuffed animal's ear that she gets some clarity about what really happened in that cave, and in her heart. Meanwhile, the bear is trying out his own righteous anger, charging to the little girl's house for a stand-off. A simple "I'm sorry" turns horrible into sweet. In reality, such spontaneous forgiveness and acceptance are rare, but cutting to the chase does readers no harm here. OHora's acrylic paint on paper illustrations are vivid and childlike. Thick black lines miraculously convey a range of emotions, and the girl's pile of bright red hair with black curlicues serves as a metaphor for both her anger and her exuberance. Molly Bang's Sophie finally has a worthy shelf-mate for absolutely spot-on characterizations of mood. VERDICT Highly recommended for picture book collections.-Lisa Lehmuller, Paul Cuffee Maritime Charter School, Providence, RI

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2016
A freckle-faced white child with a mass of red curls piled three times the height of her head is flying her kite near a snowcapped mountaintop when--"snap!"--the string breaks, and the toy is blown into a sleeping bear's cave, coming to rest on his belly. Readers are cued into the nonscary absurdity as they observe the orange-furred bear napping in a Froggy Hollow Summer Camp T-shirt stretched across his huge belly, a tiny teddy bear tucked in his arm. As the girl reaches for her kite, the bear rolls over, crushing it: "crunch!" The girl is shocked into a fit of righteous anger, blaming the bear for breaking her toy. "HORRIBLE BEAR!"--and so begins the refrain of her angry tantrum. The team that brought readers the adorable Wolfie the Bunny (2014) continues their success here. OHora's paintings are boldly colored and layered: a yellow stuffed bunny wears a teal jacket; the purple-and-black-clad little girl strides in red Converse high-top sneakers over a pea-green lawn. The limited language and solid acrylic paintings work together beautifully to convey emotion. When the little girl realizes that the bear didn't break her toy on purpose, one word speaks volumes: "Oh." Her face fills the entire page, her feelings indicated with black dot eyes, a couple of curved lines, and a black dot mouth. A charmingly loud and lighthearted friendship story. (Picture book. 3-5)

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Starred review from January 1, 2016
Preschool-K *Starred Review* Hoping to retrieve her kite, a girl with frizzy red hair reaches into sleeping Bear's cave just as he rolls over, inadvertently crushing it beneath him. Horrible Bear! she shrieks and then stomps home to scribble, kick, and (accidentally) rip the ear off her stuffed bunny. Meanwhile, Bear is indignant over being so rudely awakened, and he is bent on revenge. He practices barging and making a ruckus, eventually stomping down the mountain to the girl's house, rawr-ing all the way. When the two meet, however, the girl (who now realizes accidents just happen) immediately apologizes, draining all the horrible out of Bear. He becomes Sweet Bear, dedicated to patching up toys and friendships. The creators of Wolfie the Bunny (2015) explore the common childhood experiences of accidents and misunderstandings with sensitivity and humor. Like many preschoolers, the little girl explodes in an instant when her kite gets broken, but she also calms herself quickly once she understands Bear's perspective. OHora makes good use of bright acrylics, boldly styled characters, and limited backgrounds to keep young listeners focused on the story. Those familiar with Wolfie will also appreciate the close resemblance of the toy bunny to Wolfie's sister, Dot. A perfectly over-the-top look at tantrums, friendship, and forgiveness that is sure to resonate with preschoolers and parents alike.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)