The Sniffles for Bear

August 1, 2011

PreS-Gr 1-High-drama king Bear and endlessly cheerful Mouse return in this gently humorous tale. Convinced that no one has ever been so sick, Bear grumpily welcomes his friend but warns that he is near death's door. Mouse listens sympathetically and then tries everything he can think of to cheer his pal-singing, reading aloud, banjo playing, soup, humor-all to no avail. After a nap the formerly cranky Bear wakes up refreshed and feeling much better, only to discover that Mouse has developed the sniffles. With the tables turned, he nurses his little friend. The expressive, lightly colored watercolor, ink, and gouache illustrations sweep across the pages, using the spreads and white space to great advantage. The body language of the characters conveys a huge emotional range. Whether readers are fans of this homey pair or new to the dynamic duo's doings, they will delight in the childlike repartee and comfortable friendship.-Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2011

Bear is sure no one could possibly be as sick as he is.

Bear has a miserable cold. His throat hurts, his snout is sore and red and he has retired to his chair to wallow in his misery. Enter Mouse, who is determined to make everything better. He is unrelentingly cheerful as he reads to Bear, sings to him and makes him soup. Bear is completely unappreciative and makes pronouncements about his weakness and trembling, and the "gravity of the situation." He even dictates his will. After a long restful sleep, he feels much better, but now it is Mouse who is ill and Bear who provides care and sympathy. Bear is very much a diva, and Mouse is patient and kind. Becker employs a lively mix of dramatic, over-the-top dialogue, with a plethora of descriptive language to set the tone. Denton's watercolor, ink and gouache illustrations are just right as they depict Bear in all his suffering glory. The double-page spread at the center, showing Mouse dragging a weak and helpless Bear up the stairs, is hilarious. This funny, gentle homily about friendship and selflessness begs to be read aloud with young readers acting out the parts.

Bear and Mouse are the 21st-century Damon and Pythias--kids who haven't met them yet will be happy they've encountered them now. (Picture book. 3-6)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2011
Bear is difficult on a good day; when he doesn't feel well, he's practically unbearable. In this fourth Mouse and Bear book (A Bedtime for Bear, rev. 9/09), Mouse eagerly takes on the unenviable task of nursing his melodramatic and hypochondriacal friend back to health. As in their previous forays, chipper Mouse is undeterred by Bear's irascible behavior. He tries reading a story aloud, singing a song, and playing a tune on the banjo, but all attempts to cheer up Bear are proof, to Bear, that "you do not appreciate the gravity of my situation." And the situation is grave, indeed, if we are to believe what Bear says. So Mouse helps the ailing patient write his will, the two say their final farewells, and Bear...starts snoring. He feels better when he wakes up, but Mouse doesn't. Taking care of Bear has taken its toll on Mouse. Though the ending is a bit anemic, this comedic duo's exaggerated repartee continues to be funny; the soothing washes of color in Denton's delicately lined illustrations temper Bear's hysteria and Mouse's enthusiasm. kitty flynn

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2012
In this fourth Mouse and Bear book, Bear doesn't feel well. Mouse tries reading him a story, singing him a song, and playing the banjo; finally Mouse helps his melodramatic friend write his will. This comedic duo's exaggerated repartee continues to be funny; the soothing washes of color in Denton's delicately lined illustrations temper Bear's hysteria and Mouse's enthusiasm.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)