Where is Bear?

April 15, 2017
A young tot is trying to find Bear before bedtime.The interactive narrative begins with a string of questions. "Where is Bear? / Where could Bear be?" A laundry list of locations follows. "Is Bear in the drawer? / Is Bear on the shelf?" The young white boy carefully searches room by room, even outdoors in the car, to find Bear. In each situation, as the boy peers around, readers will spot big furry paws, a snout sticking out of the laundry, or a decidedly ursine shadow following the boy. Finally, the youngster can't take it anymore. In desperation, he plaintively asks readers, "Have you seen Bear?" An enormous, fuzzy form stands behind him, with arms splayed in the same questioning pose; it's so huge it's pictured only from the waist down. The boy whips his head around (in response to the audience's inevitable shout), but there is just a blank wall. "What? Where?" When the boy finally does find Bear, it just may be different than what readers expect. Bentley's watercolor-and-pencil illustrations add depth to the spare text, focusing on hidden sneak peeks of fur to heighten the anticipation. An inventive twist on the familiar lost-teddy story. (Picture book. 3-6)

COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2017

PreS-Where is Bear? He cannot be found anywhere. Could he be in a drawer, on a shelf, in a closet? A little boy searches high and low all day and into the night for Bear but does not see him. Readers, however, can see him-or so they think! Little ones, who will be able to see clues of Bear on every page, will get a kick out of calling out Bear's whereabouts to the young boy. He is a huge, friendly-looking brown bear who is not so good at hiding. But there is a twist that will surprise all well-meaning little sleuths! With large, colorful illustrations and simple text, this title is perfect for a read-aloud to a preschool audience. Reminiscent of a Mo Willems story, the narrative encourages children to speak out and talk back. The clues are funny, and listeners will not believe that the main character isn't catching on. The soft blue and green backgrounds are soothing and highlight the coziness of the boy's home environment. VERDICT With such inviting pictures, there just had to be a happy ending. Giggle-inducing clues make this book an interactive reading delight.-Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2017
At bedtime, a boy searches everywhere for the missing "Bear." Sly visual hints suggest that (large, conspicuous) Bear is hiding in plain sight--but an ending twist flips the expected script. First-person text cleverly breaks the fourth wall at story's climax ("Have you seen Bear? / What? Where?"). Pencil and watercolor illustrations ably communicate the boy's emotional arc, from overtired frustration to contented sleep.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)