Bear's Scare

April 9, 2018
Bear, a plodding, conscientious creature, takes pleasure in the certainty that his house is tidy, and lavishes attention on his stuffed toy Ursa: “They were always together.” But then (horrors!) he discovers spiderwebs in his house, and he sets to work trying to find the spider and get rid of it. “I am certainly sure the spider is nothing like us,” he sniffs. Grant (Through with the Zoo) quickly delivers the message that Bear’s the one with the problem as he depicts the friendly-looking arachnid knitting an afghan and painting on a small easel; it’s clear that, despite the webs, she’s a fine housemate. However, Bear’s search is so hurried and careless that he rips Ursa’s arm loose. He can’t mend it, but someone else—someone with eight legs and lots of
creativity—can. Working in a serene palette of pink and lavender, Grant gets comic mileage from Bear’s wide-eyed, stricken-looking expression; a view of the bear’s big rump as he searches under the bed will make readers smile. Insisting that everyone look and act just as we do, this story suggests, blinds us to some pretty wonderful possibilities. Ages 3–6. Agent: Steven Chudney, Chudney Agency.

July 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 1-Bear keeps his house neat and tidy and takes good care of his stuffed animal friend, Ursa. One day as Bear cleans, he finds a book on the floor and underneath-horrors!-a spider web. As Bear searches the house, finding even more spider webs, he begins to think of all the damage the spider may be doing and determines to flush it out. Unfortunately, all the searching results in a bigger mess and a terrible accident as he unintentionally tears off Ursa's arm. Bear runs for the first-aid kit and returns to find Ursa's arm reattached by...a spider web! Bear decides he can accept his new spider friend and does not mind the webs. Charcoal-and-crayon drawings are uncluttered, with a limited palette of earth tones. Illustrations of an industrious spider in a button beret, who is painting, knitting, and reading, do not match Bear's assumptions about the creature. While Bear's easy acceptance of the messy spider webs may be a stretch, this tale about friendship and overcoming prejudices is not. VERDICT This read-aloud choice will be enjoyed at storytime and as a subtle introduction to accepting others.-Ramarie Beaver, Plano Public Library System, TX

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2018
A house-proud bear is convinced that his house is clean and everything inside is in shipshape condition. He and his dearest friend, Ursa, a tiny stuffed bear, clean the house from top to bottom every day. However, when mysterious webs start appearing all over the house, Bear realizes they have a messy problem. Things go from bad to worse when, in his effort to locate the spider, Bear topples furniture and inadvertently tears off little Ursa's arm. Distraught, he lies on the floor, the wounded bear in his arms, before running to fetch a first aid kit. When he returns, he discovers that the little bear's arm has been neatly reattached with...spider webs! The jaunty little spider (who wears a beret and has been visible to readers all along) now becomes Bear's friend, along with all its webby relatives. The fairly slight story, with its simple message of teaching tolerance, is saved from mundanity by Grant's stylish, charcoal-and-crayon illustrations, digitally colored in an unusual muted palette of peaches and browns. The white webs stand out well in the pictures, and readers will have fun pointing out the spider in illustrations where Bear has not spotted it, as well as all the little spiders larking about. The repetitive, declarative text is ideal for beginning readers. A sweet, feel-good story with plenty of interesting visual detail. (Picture book. 3-5)

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April 1, 2018
Preschool-G Bear is a tidy creature who likes keeping his home just so. Everyday he and his best pal, a plush bear named Ursa, dust, sweep, and straighten together. But one day, something is amiss. Bear discovers a book lying on the floor?certainly not a place he would leave it?and attached to it, a sticky spider web. A quick search reveals more webs, triggering a frantic, furniture-toppling hunt for the many-legged mess maker. The charming charcoal-and-crayon illustrations tell another story, however. As Bear tears through his house, readers espy the adorable arachnid (wearing a button for a beret!) engaged in a number of serene activities, of which Bear would surely approve. Scenes rendered in orange, persimmon, plum, and chocolate zoom in on the spider painting, reading, drinking tea, and even sweeping up Bear's mess, but it's not until Ursa meets with an accident that Bear sees the spider for the caring individual she is. Grant's friendship story will catch readers like flies with its artwork and gentle humor, while encouraging them not to make assumptions about others.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)