Bear & Hare Share!

Starred review from April 15, 2016
Bear and Hare are more toddlerlike than ever.Bear's the mellower of the two, Hare the scowlier, but their power dynamic is changeable. In Bear & Hare Go Fishing (2015), Hare was subordinate and a bit trampled; in Bear & Hare: Snow! (2015), Hare had all the fun and smirked at hapless Bear. This time, out walking, they find a flower, a balloon, and an ice cream cone as big as Hare. Their dialogue invites readers to chime in: " 'Share?' asked Bear. / 'Mine!' said Hare." Petulantly determined not to share, Hare chomps the flower, grips the ice cream cone with long ears as well as arms, and keeps grasping the balloon even while Bear's pulling on it. Will there be conflict? Hare eats the edibles, bursts the balloon (well, they both do that), and glares--"But Bear didn't care." Bear's well of forgiveness is endless--matching how quickly and irrationally toddler resentments (sometimes) disappear. When Bear goes briefly away, Hare gets some painful comeuppance. Gravett uses her mastery of expression and composition in fabulous illustrations. Her pencils, watercolors, and crayons make details pop: flower petals sagging out of Hare's mouth; the primary-colored, liquid-paint-y balloon and its tiny shards after it bursts; pink ice cream staining Hare's mouth. Backgrounds are white except for a bit of grassy ground, and the visual mood is cheerful.Well worth sharing. (Picture book. 2-4)

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June 1, 2016

PreS-K-In this fourth book featuring the two friends, Hare finds it difficult to share with his pal as they walk together. They discover a flower. "Share?" asks Bear. "Mine!" Hare replies. Bear's request to share a balloon results in a tug-of-war, causing the balloon to pop. Hare buys ice cream and declares, "Mine!" Bear isn't fazed by Hare's selfishness, though, and sometimes even responds with a kindly hug. Although Bear isn't with him when he discovers a beehive, Hare tucks into a tasty honeycomb with glee-until a swarm of bees chase him. "There there," says Bear, who reappears with a first-aid kit to soothe his friend's bites. "Share?" says a contrite-looking Hare, holding out a honey jar. The large illustrations, rendered in pencil, watercolor, and crayon, depict large, brown, shaggy-haired Bear and Hare, ears so long they stretch toward the ends of the pages. Rarely do the two animals appear on the same page. The white ground makes the friends stand out and enables readers to focus on their many facial expressions: Bear's smiling anticipatory overtures, his bowed dejection as he sees Hare wrap his arms and ears around a huge ice-cream cone, and his comforting hugs; Hare's sly glances and determination as he refuses to share, and his apologetic expression as he offers some honey. But does he really learn to share? The cover shows the friends tussling over a honey jar. The very last illustration portrays Hare holding that same jar away from Bear. Readers will have to decide. VERDICT This is a fine vehicle for discussing the value of sharing, and the simple declarative sentences make it perfect for beginning readers. Pair it with Susie Lee Jin's Mine for a lively storytime.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Greenwich, CT

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