127. Tacos

127. Tacos. Frank Asch. 2023. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars] [picture books]

First sentence: One day Papa Bear came home from work and announced, "Good news! My boss is sending me to Arizona next week on a business trip, and I can bring my family." "Wonderful!" said Mama Bear. "But I can't go. I have to prepare for the library book sale." 

Premise/plot: Papa Bear takes Baby Bear to Arizona with him on a business trip. On the trip, Baby Bear tries his first taco. And it is LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. Life-changing love and obsession. Baby Bear loves tacos so much he never wants to leave. Papa Bear reassures him that they can continue to eat tacos once they return home. They can even make tacos at home.

My thoughts: I too LOVE tacos. The story is taco-themed which may be enough for some readers. I am not familiar with Frank Asch and his Bear characters. I know that this book is part of a larger body of work. This one may offer some nostalgia for the illustrations and characters for those that are familiar with the Bear family.  

 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Young Readers

46. Bears are Best

Bears are Best: The Scoop About How We Sniff, Sneak, Snack, and Snooze. Joan Holub. Illustrated by Laurie Keller. 2023. 48 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Grrrreetings! My name is Brown Bear. I am the only bear in this book. [You are not]. 

This is a nonfiction picture book about BEARS (plural). It isn't your typical nonfiction picture book, however. It is written in a conversational--playful--narrative. The [many] bears of the book are having quite the dialogue--all in speech bubbles. All the information about each bear--what makes them similar or dissimilar to the others--is revealed through conversation. The conversation isn't dry and info-dumpy. Not really. There's plenty to keep it light and flowing--a bit silly.

I liked this one. It does have more text than you might expect based on the cover. I do think this one could easily be mistaken for just another picture book starring bears. It doesn't scream out "I'm nonfiction!" Because it is so text-heavy, I do think it would be a good fit for most elementary grades--especially second and third grade.

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Young Readers

3. A Bear, A Bee, and a Honey Tree

A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree. Daniel Bernstrom. Illustrated by Brandon James Scott. 2022. [November] 40 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: A bear, a bee...

Premise/plot: Tale as old as time. A bear wants honey. A bee [and all the bees from the hive] want to keep the bear from getting honey. This one features very few words. Maybe one or two words per spread. Maybe. The story is told through illustrations. 

My thoughts: The story is predictable, familiar. The text is incredibly simple. The illustrations are charming/delightful. If you love the illustrations you are a thousand times more likely to like the book overall. The text in and of itself might not be enough to "wow" you. Still, this one would be easy for little ones to learn to "read" on their own. Just a few times through with an adult [parent, grandparent, etc] and they may just pick it up enough to "read" or read all on their own. Plus, since the illustrations do all the heavy-lifting, little ones can read the illustrations all on their own. It's important to have books this simple.

 

© 2022 Becky Laney of Young Readers

34. Bear Came Along

Bear Came Along. Richard T. Morris. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2019. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [Caldecott Honor; picture book]

First sentence: Once there was a river that flowed night and day, but it didn’t know it was a river...until...Bear came along. Bear was just being curious...

Premise/plot: Bear falls into an unexpected adventure...quite literally. He’s in for the ride of a lifetime...as he rides a log down the river. But he’s not alone in the turbulent waters—he’s continually being joined by other animals that soon become friends. What does the river have planned?!


My thoughts: I really loved the story and the illustrations. Especially the illustrations. I would say they are adorable. But that word has connotations for some people. (As does the word precious.) I don’t mean this is a super sticky sweet-sweet read. It’s not unbearable 🤣😂. No, the story is just right as a metaphor for living life.

Text4/5
Illustrations:5/5
Total:9/10

© 2020 Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Berenstain Bears' New Baby

The Berenstain Bears' New Baby. Stan & Jan Berenstain. 1974. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Down a sunny dirt road, over a log bridge, up a grassy hill, deep in Bear Country, lived a family of bears--Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Small Bear. They lived in a large tree which Papa Bear had hollowed out and made into a house.

Premise/plot: Small Bear wakes up to discover that his once just-right bed is now too small. Papa Bear and Small Bear go out to the woods to chop down a tree to make a new just-right bed. Mama Bear--still silent--smiles contentedly as they go out for the day. But what will happen to Small Bear's bed?! Could Mama Bear have a secret?!

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. Sister Bear is adorable as a baby. This is an essential to read if you're going to read any of the books in the series.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10


© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Bears' Picnic

The Bears' Picnic. Stan and Jan Berenstain. 1966. 72 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Mother Bear, put your apron away. We are going to go on a picnic today!

Premise/plot: Papa Bear is treating his family to a lovely picnic. He has the PERFECT spot in mind. Or does he?! Will the Berenstain Bear family EVER get to actually eat their picnic lunch? Or will a series of misadventures prevent them?

My thoughts: I don't remember reading The Bears' Picnic growing up. I think I would have approved! It is in many ways quite similar to the Big Honey Hunt. Mama Bear doesn't say a word in this one. But she doesn't really have to--readers, especially observant readers--will be able to guess how she's feeling and what she's thinking! Perhaps Mama Bear is thinking IF YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING NICE, DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. Maybe. Regardless, this rhyming early reader is a hoot.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Bears on Wheels

Bears on Wheels. Stan and Jan Berenstain. 1969. 33 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: One bear. One wheel. One bear on one wheel. Two bears on one wheel. Three on one. Four on one.

Premise/plot: Bears ride things on wheels.

My thoughts: This book isn't all that thrilling. It isn't. Perhaps it is super-super easy to read if you're a beginning reader who knows basic sight words. It does end in a crash, boom, bang. Perhaps that could prove thrilling if that's your thing.

What does make this book slightly more thrilling is imagining it being read in a Scottish accent. If Neil Oliver, for example, wanted to narrate this one I'd be okay with that.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Bears Vacation

The Bears' Vacation. Stan and Jan Berenstain. 1968. 72 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Hooray! Hooray! We're on our way! Our summer vacation starts today!

Premise/plot: The Berenstain Bear family is on vacation. Pa and Small Bear have many, many adventures--or should I say MISadventures. It all starts with Pa's lectures on how to stay safe. Despite his safety rules, Pa (or Papa Bear) gets into trouble time and time again. He's not so great at following his own advice. OR he's simply not observant and self-aware.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. It was funny. All the humor is at Papa Bear's expense. He's just not very bright. It is written in rhyme like the Big Honey Hunt. I am enjoying reading some of these older titles in the series. I do not think I'll bother reading the newer titles.

 Text: 4 out of 5
Illustration: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Big Honey Hunt

The Big Honey Hunt. Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain. 1962. 72 pages. [Source: Own]

First sentence: We ate our honey. We ate a lot. Now we have no honey in our honey pot.

Premise/plot: When the Berenstain Bear family runs out of honey, what should they do? Well, if they listen to Mama Bear, they'd go to the store and buy some. But is Papa Bear likely to listen to his wife? He thinks the BEST honey to bring home is the kind that they hunt for themselves. So he takes his son along on a bee hunt. But can they find the right kind of tree?

My thoughts: This early reader is BELOVED. It wasn't that I loved, loved, loved the series in general. This was the first book in what would become a series. But it wasn't written--if Wikipedia is to be believed--with a series in mind, let alone a super-super-super long series. But there is just something DELIGHTFUL and FUN about the story. I think the rhythm and rhyme of this one helps make it memorable, quote worthy, a true classic.

I also LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one because just like the bears in this story, I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED honey and often found we were running low on honey in our own honey pot. 

Favorite quotes:

Is that a bee?
He went, "Buzz! Buzz!"
He looks like a bee.
Why, yes!
He does.

Are you getting honey?
Are you getting a lot?
Will we take home honey
In our honey pot?

Well, it it looks just so.
And it feels just so.
Looks so. Feels so.
So it's SO!

When a bear is smart,
When a bear is clever,
He never gives up.
And I won't, ever!

The best sort of honey
Never comes from bees.
It comes from a store.
I would like some,
Please. 

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

More Bears

More Bears! Kenn Nesbitt. Illustrated by Troy Cummings. 2010. November 2010. Sourcebooks. 32 pages.


Once upon a time there was a story.
This story was a lovely story with absolutely no bears in it--
not a single bear anywhere. Then one day...
MORE BEARS!!
What? Who said that? The author of the story looked around the room, wondering where those voices had come from. Were those the voices of children shouting? Then he went back to writing.
As I was saying, this story had absolutely no bears at all. The author was very certain about this.
MORE BEARS!!
The author tried very, very hard to ignore the children who thought that the story ought to have...
MORE BEARS!!

I liked this one. I did. I thought it was funny. A bit quirky--perhaps--but good fun, in my opinion, very playful. I think it would make a good read aloud.

The author begins KNOWING that his story has NO BEARS in it. Yet the voices persist. Children begging for a story with MORE BEARS. How many bears will he add to his story with "no bears?" How many bears are enough bears to satisfy his audience? Who is in charge of the story anyway?

I liked the repetition--the repetitive demands for MORE BEARS. I liked the simplicity of the concept yet the detail in the bears he adds to the story. For example, there's "Bobcat Sam, the bear who rode a pony, and Admiral Haversham, the English dancing bear, and Excellent Steve, the bear who just wanted to surf." 

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Ferocious Wild Beasts!

Ferocious Wild Beasts! by Chris Wormell. 2009. December 2009. Random House. 32 pages.

A bear was strolling in the forest one day...when he met a small boy, sitting on a tree stump, looking rather sad.
"What's the matter?" asked the bear.
"I'm lost," sniffed the boy, "and I'm in terrible trouble."
"Dear me, why's that?" inquired the bear.
"Because my mom said I must never go into the forest," replied the boy, "but I did. And now I'm lost!"
"Don't worry!" said the bear with a laugh. "I'll soon show you the way out. The forest isn't so bad, you know."
"It is!" declared the boy. "My mom says the forest is full of ferocious wild beasts!"
"Really?" said the bear.

I loved, loved, loved Ferocious Wild Beasts! It's a very funny picture book. It stars a boy and a diverse cast of 'ferocious wild beasts' of the forest: a bear, an elephant, a lion, a wolf, a python, and a crocodile. As the boy tells his new friends about the dangers lurking in the forest--how wild, hairy beasts abound and are ready to jump out at you from the shadows, that they like eating lions best, etc--his new friends become more and more frightened.

Ferocious Wild Beasts makes a wonderful read aloud! I highly recommend it!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Kisses for Daddy

Kisses for Daddy. Frances Watts. Illustrated by David Legge. 2010. April 2010. Simon & Schuster. 26 pages.

I really liked this one. I thought it was cute and playful. I loved the text. Here's how it starts off,

Baby Bear was grumbly. He didn't want to go to bed. He didn't want his bath, and he didn't want to kiss his mom and dad good night.
"Come on, grumbly bear," said his dad. "A big bear kiss for Mom, a big bear kiss for Dad, then bath and bed."
"No," said Baby Bear.

Is this night destined for a fit? Or can Daddy Bear turn things around? As the two prepare for bed, Daddy Bear keeps trying to sneak in kisses--giraffe kisses, koala kisses, crocodile kisses, bat kisses, tiger kisses, monkey kisses, etc.--but Baby Bear is stubborn yet. No kisses for Daddy. (Mom got a big bear kiss early on soon after the drama started.) Is there a happy ending in store? Will there be peace yet? Read and see for yourself in this little board book.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Rise and Shine!

Rise and Shine. Illustrated by Tim Warnes. (Song is in the public domain.) 2010. February 2010. Board Book. Simon & Schuster. 26 pages.

Rise and shine

and give God the glory, glory.

Rise and shine

and give God the glory, glory.

Rise and shine

and give God the glory, glory

children of the Lord.

If there was an award for adorableness, I would so give it to Rise and Shine! What we have is the traditional song published with oh-so-clever and oh-so-cute illustrations. The details! Oh the details! I love this bear family. I do. I love this bear child. There's just something so joyful, so right about this one.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Moon Bear

Moon Bear. Brenda Z. Guiberson. Illustrated by Ed Young. 2010. May 2010. Henry Holt. 40 pages.

Who blinks in the sunlight that peeks through the Himalayas?

Sleepy moon bear,
waking up
from a long winter snooze.

I liked this one. I liked the question and answer format. I liked the way the book progresses through all four seasons. I liked learning more about Asiatic black bears. (I thought the format was very reader-friendly.) And I thought the illustrations were very expressive. Some were quite striking!


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Good Luck Bear

Good Luck Bear. Greg Foley. 2009. [February 2009]. Penguin. 32 pages.

One day while lying in the grass, a little bear found a clover with three tiny leaves. He showed it to his friend Mouse. Mouse said, "If you find one with four leaves, it means that you're lucky." Bear started looking for a four-leaf clover.

Will he find one? Or will he find something even better, something even more unexpected? Bear is back for his third book. (The previous titles include Thank You Bear and Don't Worry Bear. I reviewed Don't Worry Bear just yesterday.)

I liked this one. Perhaps not quite as much as I loved the first one. But I found it charming and cute. I thought it worked. I loved hearing from Bear's friends as well.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Don't Worry Bear

Don't Worry Bear. Greg Foley. 2008. [March 2008] Penguin. 32 pages.

Late one afternoon, a little bear found a caterpillar hard at work. "What are you doing?" asked Bear.
"I'm making a cocoon," said Caterpillar. "I'll stay inside for a while. But I promise you'll see me again."

Bear is worried. Very worried. He's met a new friend. A caterpillar. One preparing his cocoon. First Bear is worried that his new friend is going to get scared of the dark or too wet or cold. But again and again his friend assures him (and reassures him) that there's no reason to worry. Everything will be just fine. What can this little bear learn from a good friend? I like this one because I can identify with Bear.

Follow-up to Thank You Bear.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Three Little Bears Play All Day

Three Little Bears Play All Day by David Martin. Illustrated by Akemi Gutierrez. 2010. [February 2010] Candlewick. 48 pages.

This book is part of Candlewick's "Brand New Readers" series. It contains four stories: "Three Little Bears Jump", "Three Little Bears Juggle", "Three Little Bears Eat", "and "Three Little Bears Build." The text is simple. The focus here is not complex story-telling. Instead the focus is on providing young readers with books they can read themselves. The text is simple and predictable. The book even gives parents tips on how to help their little ones read.

Here's an example of the text:

Brother Bear jumps.
Brother Bear spins.
Sister Bear jumps.
Sister Bear spins.
Baby Bear jumps.
Baby Bear spins.
Baby Bear spins and spins and spins!
"I'm dizzy," says Baby Bear.

The "Three Little Bears Jump" is the simplest of the four. (Also the least exciting, in my opinion.) But some of the other stories are more complex, a bit more fun too. I especially liked "Three Little Bears Eat."


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Bears On Chairs

Bears On Chairs. Shirley Parenteau. Illustrated by David Walker. 2009. [August 2009]. Candlewick. 32 pages.

Can five friends find a way to share four chairs? Find out the answer in this cute and adorable picture book by Shirley Parenteau. In Bears On Chairs, readers learn about sharing.

Here's how it starts off,

Four small chairs
just right for bears.
Where is the bear for each small chair?

Calico Bear
sits on a chair.
He likes it there
on his one chair.

Now Fuzzy Bear
wants a chair.
She climbs up there
on the second chair.

What happens when a fifth bear, Big Brown Bear, comes along? Can Calico Bear, Fuzzy Bear, Yellow Bear, and Floppy Bear find a way to make everything work out for everybody? Or will one bear have to give up his chair?

This one is definitely a rhyming book. But that wasn't a bad thing. I know I can be hard on rhyming books now and then. Because sometimes rhyming books--especially rhyming books that are cute and adorable--can be a bit dinky in places. But I thought Bears On Chairs worked quite well. The rhyming really works. I thought it was great fun. Cute and playful. I really liked this one and am happy to recommend it.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Bear of My Heart

Bear of My Heart by Joanne Ryder. Illustrated by Margie Moore. 2009. [December 2009] 32 pages.

There are so many bears in the world, dear, but there's no other one that will do.
You are the bear of my heart, dear, and I am the one who loves you.

Sweet. This one is sweet. You could probably tell by the cover alone, the title alone. You don't need me to tell you that this one is dripping in sugary sweet cuteness. And yet, there is nothing wrong with sweet books, cute books, if they're good. And there is much good in this one. This is little board book celebrating unconditional love between parent and child. The rhymes work. (Which is a must, in my opinion. If the rhyming doesn't work. If the rhythm is off a bit. If it doesn't make for a good read-a-loud, then what good is it really?) Nothing feels forced in this one. So I liked it. I really did.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

A Birthday for Bear

A Birthday for Bear. By Bonny Becker. Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. 2009. (September 2009). Candlewick Press. 56 pages.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Bear dusted his shelves. Whisk! Whisk! Whisk! Bear swept his floor. He was very, very busy today. Bear was always very, very busy on his birthday.

How many chapters will it take for one persistent little Mouse to win his best friend Bear over to the ideas of celebrating his birthday? Any guesses? It takes a lot of effort on his part. But will it be worth it? Can Mouse and Bear have the best birthday ever?

I loved this one. It was great fun. I loved some of Mouse's tricks and schemes. Of course, these were all done with the most loving of intentions. How does Mouse operate? Well, I'll show you.

"Happy birthday, Bear!" cried Mouse.
"It's not my birthday," lied Bear.
"But it says so right here," said Mouse, waving a party invitation.
"Let me see that!" demanded Bear.
He peered at the card. It read:

Dear Mouse,
Come to Bear's birthday
at Bear's house today!
Balloons and presents
and birthday cake.

"This is your handwriting!" protested Bear. "You wrote it."
"Did I?" asked Mouse, most innocently.

So you see, Mouse has quite a big task ahead of him. Can he do it?

This one is a sequel to A Visitor for Bear. (Though you don't need to have read it in order to enjoy this one.)

© Becky Laney of Young Readers