Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
Red, a red panda, mourns how all the books for pandas somehow omit red pandas! With the encouragement of his giant panda friend Gee, Red writes his own book about red pandas. The adorable picture book How This Book Got Red by Margaret Chiu Greanias and pictures by Melissa Iwai (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, October 2023) narrates
Which leads us to No Bears by Meg McKinlay and illustrated by Leila Rudge (Candlewick Press, 2011), a book about a girl named Ella who wants to tell a wonderful fairy story for kids that has no bears in it. I liked how the story showed her story inside of the story, on spiral pages,
Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson (Disney Hyperion, 2011) was probably my son’s favorite book this week. Otto is a bear that lives inside of a book, but likes to come out when no one is around. When Otto gets left behind on the family moving day, he feels very small. He finds the world
Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff (Beach Lane Books, 2012) is a different kind of colors book, and one of my favorites this week. It approaches color-learning from a new direction, much like Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? or The Black Book of Colors approach colors from a different perspective. Baby Bear Sees Blue has a
In You Will Be My Friend! by Peter Brown (Little, Brown, September 2011), Lucy (a brown bear) has decided that today she will make a new friend. However, as she approaches potential friends with that demand, she finds it much harder than she anticipated. Never fear, Lucy finds friendship when she least expects it. Peter Brown’s illustrations are
Here’s a wonderful birthday book! A Birthday for Bear by Bonnie Becker and illustrated by Katie MacDonald Denton (Candlewick, September 2009) tells the story of Bear, who is not a fan of birthdays and is determined to be grouchy and clean his house all day. It’s a very busy day. His friend Mouse keeps trying
Bear’s Birthday by Stella Blackstone and illustrated by Debbie Harter (Barefoot Books, June 2011) lets us celebrate Bear’s birthday with all of his friends. Apparently, this is part of a series about Bear and his bear friends; I’ll be first to admit this is the first I’ve found. I’ll have to keep an eye out
Greg Foley’s simple animal world in the Thank You Bear series has been a favorite as well. With plenty of white space and limited text, Thank You, Bear (2007, Viking Juvenile) shows a bear who has a gift he thinks is wonderful for his friend Mouse, but his other friends discourage him. In Good Luck, Bear and Don’t Worry, Bear,
Rubia and the Three Osos by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Hyperion Books, 2010). Rubia is a retelling of the story, using interspersed Spanish vocabulary words. The family of bears leaves their sopa (soup) on the table when they go for their walk, and Goldilocks discovers it is caliente and frío, a chair is too suave, and so forth. Raisin didn’t
The 3 Bears and Goldilocks by Margaret Wiley, illustrated by Heather Solomon (Atheneum Books, 2008). Margaret Wiley’s retelling is one I kept thinking of as I pondered this project. In fact, her creative retelling prompted me to consider this project in the first place! Goldilocks is a curious girl, and her father warns her in the beginning
Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Gennady Spirin (Marshall Cavendish, 2009). Gennady Spirin’s story reminds me a lot of Jan Brett’s, in that his story seems to have a distinct voice, thanks to its distinct realistic illustrations. To be honest, I am not a fan of the dark illustrations in this one. The bears and the house
Leola and the Honeybears by Melodye Benson Rosales (Cartwheel, 1999). Leola’s story was my favorite of all the Goldilocks retellings; I think it was one of my son’s too. Leola is about his age, and he says he liked her because “I just like her. Leola was cute.” He had a big smile when we finished this
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