My Favorite Bear

February 1, 2003
PreS-Gr 2-A mother bear tells her cub about all the kinds of bears there are in the world as she cuddles her baby to sleep. Large, naturalistic pictures done in soft-focus pastel depict a variety of bears eating, exploring, and lying around. Most of the illustrations are given lush two-page spreads that highlight the creatures' personalities and habitats. The brief text rhymes, though it doesn't always flow smoothly. Still, parents will enjoy curling up with their own children and teddy bears, and exploring the story together, which concludes with the cub fast asleep and well loved. A page at the back of the book gives some brief information about the different species featured in the story. -Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System, FL

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2003
PreS-Gr. 1. This begins with a mother bear tucking her cub in for the night as she sings a lullaby about bear life. Her song ("Some bears eat fish. / Some like bamboo. / Some bears hunt by the light of the moon.") gives basic facts about bears, but it's Gabriel's realistic artwork that brings these facts to life. She shows brown bears catching fish out of the river, giant pandas feasting in a bamboo forest, and a polar bear walking across the frozen landscape. In the end, mother bear's favorite bear is, of course, her own "sleepy cub." A page of bear facts rounds things out. A taste of natural history for very young children to ponder.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)