More Bears!

October 18, 2010
In this rollicking metafictional romp, poet Nesbitt's first picture book, the bald author of a story is interrupted by anonymous voices that demand "MORE BEARS!!" ("Were those the voices of children shouting?"). Initially grumpy about the intrusion, the author complies—with every page turn there's another speech bubble calling for more bears—until there are "so many bears in the story that they couldn't all fit on the page." In Nickelodeon-ready cartoons, Cummings brings the idiosyncratic, one-of-a-kind bears to life, including Astrobear, who "was Bulgarian and always kept a hamster in his pocket, just in case," and "a papa bear, whose name, by the way, was Captain Picklehead, and a bear named Uncle Sheldon, who was bald and loved to play the ukulele." When the author finally decides to reclaim his story, any disappointment about the disappearance of the happy-go-lucky bears is mitigated by one last surprise demand for a story with... "More Chickens!" Kids will be shouting along with every request for more bears—it's a story that's made for read-aloud, though it's all but guaranteed to be a rowdy one. Ages 1–8.

October 15, 2010

Teachers and librarians searching for sophisticated read-alouds will find much to love in this bear-saturated offering, as will parents looking for a change of pace. As an author attempts to write a story, he is continually interrupted by children's demands for "MORE BEARS!!" Initially conservative in the number of bears added, he is soon swept up in the excitement of plugging in new kinds of bears on each page. However, when the abundance of bears overwhelms the book entirely, the author casts them out and tries to write a new story. That is, until the last page of the book: "MORE CHICKENS!!" Nesbitt expertly melds his wittily monikered bears (example: Admiral Haversham, the English dancing bear, and Excellent Steve, the bear who surfs) to silly humor kids will dig. It's difficult to resist the hordes of firefighting, space-exploring, juggling, flying, conniving bears that pack these pages. Cummings adds just the right feel to the illustrations, going from simple images to crazed two-page spreads. A welcome addition to preschool and early-elementary storytimes and a surefire hit. (Picture book. 4-8)

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January 1, 2011

PreS-Gr 2-The author of this story believes he has his plotline completely in hand as he begins. However, within three lines, unseen children begin to demand "More Bears!" The author tries to insist on his original vision, but caves in to their clamor. The bears begin entering the book, one by one, then in pairs, until there are more and more and more bears. The author then has to step back in and get rid of all the creatures crowding the pages. The bears are funny and charming, all with their own little quirks to distinguish them from the multitude. A father is called Captain Picklehead and Elbow wears his underpants on the outside of his clothes. Since the story is just the author/child interaction and naming the characters, the illustrations have to pop to keep the list from being overwhelming. Cummings's smooth, digitally rendered artwork does the job admirably. There is strong color on every page, and the bears are infused with zaniness and fun. The participatory refrain of "More Bears" will bring this selection to life at storytimes.-Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ

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