Bear Sees Colors

July 14, 2014
A walk through the woods provides ample opportunities for spotting colors in Bear and Mouse’s latest adventure. “Mouse and bear are walking;/ they are chitter-chatter-talking./ So much for them to do./ And the bear sees...” begins Wilson, as the animals appear against a white backdrop; both the open-ended rhyme and a pair of blue dragonflies hint at what awaits after the page turn. The next spread is a riot of blue, with Bear splashing in a river while flowers, fish, butterflies, and fruit offer readers many opportunities to “spy blue with Bear.” Though Wilson’s rhymes can be a tad herky-jerky, Chapman’s vibrant acrylics give children plenty to pore over. Ages 3–7.

August 15, 2014
Wilson and Chapman's Bear is back, this time for younger listeners who are learning colors. Rollicking rhymes, objects to spot and well-timed page turns will have kids shouting out: "Mouse and Bear are walking; / they are chitter-chatter-talking. / So much for them to do. / And the bear sees... // blue! / Blue flowers / by the trail. / Blue berries. / Blue pail. / Blue, blue EVERYWHERE! / Can you spy blue with Bear?" The two meet Hare for an exploration of the color red; the three seek out yellow with Badger; Gopher and Mole join in to find green; and Raven, Owl and Wren introduce the color brown. The adventure ends with a full spread featuring every color; readers are invited to spot them. Solid rhymes give way to stream/green and round/brown, though readers likely won't care-Bear is that beloved (not to mention adorable) a character by now, and Chapman's friendly and energetic illustrations have so many things of each hue for them to identify-not just the items named in the text. Light on story but full of delightful details and lots of color practice, this is sure to garner many new fans for Bear and his group of friends. (Picture book. 2-6)

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July 1, 2014

PreS-Children will love accompanying Bear on yet another adventure as he and Mouse go walking. "So much for them to do./And the bear/sees...." A page turn reveals the two friends splashing in a setting saturated in the color name that completes the rhyme-blue! "Blue flowers/by the trail./Blue berries./Blue pail." Since not all the objects in the beautiful spread are named, readers can take up the invitation issued here and in similar challenges throughout the book: "Can you spy blue with Bear?" Bear and Mouse meet, in turn, their familiar cast of animal friends: Hare, Badger, Gopher and Mole, and Raven, Owl, and Wren. Each time, a page turn depicts a scene replete with a new color as Bear and his friends enjoy the forest. Especially alert preschoolers will discover an additional hint of what color comes next from the insects he sees. Red ladybugs, for example, fly about the page before the animals cavort amid red berries and flowers on the next spread. While some rhymes don't quite work, this is a very small quibble. The large acrylic paintings, in which even the backgrounds are drenched in the highlighted color, and the opportunity for children to sharpen their rhyming and observation skills as well as learn their colors make this interactive journey a must. Don't miss it!-Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2014
Preschool-G As Bear strolls outdoors, his friend Mouse rides along on top of his head. Suddenly Bear sees blue! / Blue flowers / by the trail. / Blue berries. / Blue pail. / Blue, blue, EVERYWHERE! / Can you spy blue with Bear? It's an invitation that young children will find hard to resist, assuming they know their colors. And if they don't, a few strolls though the book with Bear, Mouse, and their woodland friends will bring them up to speed. Wilson juggles rhythm and rhyme with ease in verses celebrating blue, red, green, yellow, and (for a nice change) brown. The engaging text leaves plenty of room for audience participation, while the large-scale, colorful acrylic paintings show up well from a distance. Like Ashley Wolff's Baby Bear Sees Blue (2012), this addition to Wilson and Chapman's Bear series is a fine color-themed picture book for reading aloud in the home or the classroom.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)