Bear Meets Bear

October 16, 2020

K-Gr 2-Best friends Bear and Spider are companionably waiting for the delivery of their new teapot. When Bear sees the delivery person, he is smitten. "Bear had never met such a charming lady bear. His heart beat fast. Bear wanted to say hello. He wanted to say something clever, or funny, or anything at all. But Bear's mouth would not move." His moment passes, and Bear immediately orders another teapot to try again. He obsessively waits, and the whole scenario repeats again and again, filling their home with unnecessary teapots. Spider is amused at first, but soon steps in to advise Bear to speak up and invite her to tea. Alas, someone else delivers the final teapot and Bear sinks into despair, forcing Spider to take matters into his own hands by tracking down the lady bear, a panda, and delivering an invitation on Bear's behalf. Bear is surprised when Panda arrives, but is able to rally his emotions and host a pleasant tea party. Bear thanks Spider, and the final spread shows the three sipping lemonade while overseeing a teapot yard sale. The childlike obsessions of waiting, being tongue-tied, feeling awkward, and making iffy decisions-Spider sort of tricks Panda into a visit-while trying to solve a problem appear in charming mixed media illustrations featuring bold jewel tones; they add cozy details to the spare text. Not every reader will be ready for a story of a first crush, but the supporting lessons of friendship will resonate. VERDICT Add to collections where Arnold Lobel's "Frog and Toad" books are popular -Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Lib., MN

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2020
A bear falls in love at first sight. Bear is large, soft-textured, and dark purple. He lives in a human house. He and his roommate, a hat-wearing male spider, eagerly anticipate the delivery of a teapot they've ordered. When it comes, Bear falls head over heels for the delivery person. "Bear had never met such a charming lady bear. His heart beat fast." The infatuation is based entirely on her appearance and is unidirectional: Delivery-person Panda only says plainly, "Package for Bear. Please sign here....Please sign for your delivery." The language around Bear's crush is explicitly romantic; the unrequited longing makes his "heart hurt." Grant's illustrations use pastel colors, unobtrusive tertiary colors, soft edges, gentle compositions, and mildly nubbly finishes. All this visual tranquility covers an aggressive plot. Bear, too nervous to speak to Panda during that first delivery, orders teapot after teapot, hoping fruitlessly each time for the courage to speak, making Panda return repeatedly; wingman Spider then questions local animals about where to find Panda for Bear. It's a model of romantic pursuit that, if enacted by real human adults, would be a little stalkery. Bear gets what he wants--Panda--and, no longer vulnerable, shifts to laughing behind her back at her beverage preference: " 'Panda doesn't like tea!' Bear chuckled. 'I mean, really! Everyone loves a cup of tea.' " Next time, they have lemonade instead, which is the happy ending. The pushy suitor gets the girl. (Picture book. 4-6)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2020
Preschool-Grade 1 Bear and his friend Spider are waiting for their new teapot to arrive. When the doorbell rings, Bear accepts the package from Panda, a bear so charming that he can only stare at her, speechless. Later, still smitten, Bear longs to bring her back again, but how? The answer is obvious, but after a series of teapot deliveries, he's still dumbstruck each time he sees Panda. One day, a gruff raccoon delivers the latest teapot, leaving Bear despondent. Sympathetic to his plight, Spider searches for Panda and gives her a written invitation to tea. Bear is surprised, happy, and suddenly able to converse with Panda. In the book's last scene, the three friends are selling teapots together at their yard sale. The big, bashful bear's plight will resonate with kids who have their own moments of shyness. Written with economy and wit, the narrative reads aloud well. The charcoal, crayon, and ink drawings feature simplified forms enhanced by pleasing, digitally added colors. An appealing sequel to Jacob's Bear's Scare (2018) and Bear Out There (2019).

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