Knock Knock

June 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 1-As bear settles into bed for his long winter hibernation, a "KNOCK KNOCK" at the door causes him to rise and frustratingly ask, "Who's there?" One anthropomorphic woodland creature after another offers up a name and silly exchanges in the form of knock-knock jokes which are represented in alternating speech bubbles. Justin the fox responds, "Justin the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by!" while a group of critters that reply, "Olive" to Bear's concerned, "Who's there?" joyfully shout, "Olive us!" When a wolf, or "Ima," appears at the window, he responds, "Ima gonna huff and puff and blow the house down if you don't open this door." The lively, full-color cartoon illustrations are kid-friendly and fun, and the expressive characters paired with the back-and-forth jokes will make for an amusing read-aloud. The urgency of Bear's friends to enter his cozy winter den is understood in one of the final full-page spreads where a banner reads, "Happy Hibernation," and a party with full decoration, followed by bedtime stories, is set for Bear. VERDICT Saturated colors, animated characters, and silly jokes will ensure repeated readers. Fans of Karma Wilson's "Bear" books will enjoy the added jokes in this picture book. An appealing read-aloud choice on hibernation and friendship.-Brianne Colombo, Fairfield Free Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2018
A bear desperate to hibernate seeks refuge from neighbors.A big brown bear is dressed in pajamas and ready to turn in for winter when suddenly: "KNOCK KNOCK." "Who's there?" asks the bear. "Justin the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by!" responds a fox bearing an arm full of firewood, and thus begins a series of knock-knock jokes that brings more and more woodland neighbors into the bear's home. The bear grows increasingly frustrated as the illustrations grow ever more frantic, the compositions filled with animals bearing party supplies, food, and gifts. Eventually it is revealed that the bear's neighbors are merely wishing their friend a safe and happy hibernation, and readers as well as the grouchy bear will find their hearts warming as a tiny chipmunk embraces its leg, proclaiming, "Al miss you all winter long." Little readers will enjoy the narrative Sauer builds on these knock-knock jokes, and the repetition of the format will encourage them to create some of their own. The dynamic illustrations pop with color and noise, juxtaposing nicely with the bear in PJs who's clearly desperate for some shut-eye. The end goal of sleep makes this a nice bedtime read-aloud, particularly for little readers who may be resisting the end of the day, even as the giant, red "KNOCK KNOCK"s encourage raucous storytime participation.An amusing and lively read that celebrates a venerable literary form. (Picture book. 2-4)

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