Bear in Love

May 28, 2012
Pinkwater’s (Beautiful Yetta) impulsive, happy-go-lucky bear keeps finding carrots on a flat rock outside his cave, left by some anonymous well-wisher. After days of this, the bear places honeycomb on the rock as a lure (“He wanted to see who had left him the nice things”), and pretty soon there’s a full-scale war of random acts of kindness going on. In a nod to Pooh, Pinkwater’s bear sings to himself quite often—“Someone must like me/ Someone is nice/ Very good, yum yum yum/ Someone is nice”—and much attention is paid to the deliciousness of each treat. Hillen-brand’s (Kite Day) cheery mixed-media spreads draw little attention to themselves, and there isn’t a hint of menace or darkness. Only the pacing seems off: by the time the mystery is solved (spoiler: it’s a rabbit) the story is over, although it’s clear that the relationship is just beginning. Yet Pinkwater’s talent for creating loveable characters and his unalloyed sense of goodness make it work. Ages 2–6. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

September 1, 2012

PreS-A bear awakes in his cave one morning and goes outside to look for food. On a rock nearby is an orange, pointy thing with green leaves at one end. He ventures to eat it and finds it, "Very good, yum, yum, yum; Very good indeed." After two more carrots are left on his rock, the bear decides to reciprocate with a something of his own-a honeycomb. He also tries to stay awake to see who the mysterious someone is who is leaving him presents, but he falls asleep instead. After two more exchanges, the bear and a shy bunny finally meet and contentedly share their mutual love of songs and food, on their way to what looks like a beautiful friendship. Pinkwater demonstrates a deft gift for writing for very young children, and the book is made more special by Hillenbrand's lovely pastel illustrations. They show the bear in the foreground in solid but subdued color against a delicate, barely discernible pattern of gray blue trees (and an occasional glimpse of bunny ears). The bear and the rabbit are very appealing, and the book as a whole begs to be read in storytime, possibly with other tales of unusual friendships.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2012
A friendly little whodunit results in an unexpected romance between a bear and a bunny. Bear lives in "a little cave, just big enough for him," but it turns out that he has room for companionship. One morning he comes across a carrot lying on a flat rock, and not sure what it is, the bear decides to take a nibble. Delighted, he walks through the woods singing a song evocative of Winnie-the-Pooh's hums. Two carrots appear the next day, and Bear begins to wonder who has left them. "Crunchy things! Three of them!" he exclaims on day three, and then he finds a whole pile of carrots on the fourth day. "Someone must like me to leave these good things," he muses, and then he stumbles across a honey tree and decides to bring a piece of honeycomb for his secret admirer. This act of reciprocity instigates an ongoing gift exchange, culminating when the bear finds a bunny hiding in a bush. Mutual admiration overflows as the no-longer-secret admirers offer appreciation for the gifts they exchanged and then join in song at book's end. While the story is awfully sweet, Hillenbrand's mixed-media illustrations are what distinguish this picture book. Faintly rendered backgrounds offset characters and foreground settings, lending a truly fresh look to the compositions. There's lots to love here. (Picture book. 3-5)

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October 1, 2012
Preschool-G One morning, a sweet bear (as opposed to Pinkwater's Irving and Muktuk: Two Bad Bears, 2001) crawls out from his cave feeling peckish and discovers, right in front of him, something that was orange and long and pointy and had green bushy leaves at one end. The next morning there are two delicious carrots waiting for him, three the next, and then a whole pile. Now, a cynical creature might think it a trap, but this innocent soul is eager to share his own favorite food with his secret admirer and so leaves a honeycomb in return. After more exchanges and happy ditties, a bunny finally appears, and the new friends enjoy a sunset together. The simple story's design is nicely romanticized, with full-bleed, lightly sketched forest backgrounds spread out over long pages, with the placid action depicted in mixed-media browns and greens with gentle highlights. The book's Pooh-like charm protects it from preciousness and makes for a tender tale about the satisfaction to be found in a fond, contented relationship.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)