  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 01/01/2012 PreS-Gr 1—As Baby Bear and his mother amble through forest and meadow, the cub asks countless questions about his surroundings: "Who is warming me, Mama?," "Who is waving to me, Mama?," etc., and with each patient reply, "That is the sun" or "That is the oak," Baby Bear notes the color of the object in question. The story comes full circle when mother and baby return to their cave and, closing his eyes, Baby Bear seeing nothing but "deep, soft black." Luscious full-page linoleum print and watercolor illustrations delight with bright colors. Despite an abundance of books about bears and color concepts, this cozy story cleverly ties the two together. It would work well in storytimes or one on one.—Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 02/01/2012 Baby Bear and his mother wake up at dawn. As the sun fills their den with light, “Baby Bear sees yellow.” Roaming around outdoors, the curious cub also notices green leaves in the oak tree, a brown trout in the river, an orange butterfly in the meadow. When the sky turns gray, Baby Bear and Mama return to their den and watch a passing thunderstorm, followed by a rainbow. Night falls and the little bear goes to sleep. Wolff’s illustrations, black linoleum-block prints washed with watercolors, feature bold lines, strong compositions, and sensitive uses of color that will draw readers into the pictures. Excellent for group sharing, the artwork shows up especially well from a distance. The quiet text is made up of Baby Bear’s questions about the sensory wonders of his world and his mother’s replies, and given a chance, young children will be happy to supply the answers first. An engaging concept book with just enough narrative for its audience. - Copyright 2012 Booklist. Loading...
 |