  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 06/01/2014 PreS-Gr 1—Three little bears head through the snow to Grandma's. There, they bake, dance, drink hot chocolate, package up their baked goodies, and then head home, but the story is really about more than that. Grandma's love is nearly a tangible thing as reflected in the painterly illustrations, with their warm colors and cozy setting, and the images convey the sheer pleasure she feels in the company of her grandchildren. The cubs are clearly smitten with their grandmother, who towers over them kindheartedly, and with the tradition of baking day. This is no cloying treacle of nostalgia. Instead, the authenticity of the characters shines in a natural and enjoyable way. The text is a wonderful rhyming poem/song with the refrain, "It's baking day!/It's baking day!/It's baking day/at Grandma's!" And it's such fun to read aloud. "Old-time music, soft and sweet./Skippy notes and tapping feet./Learning songs that Grandma sings—/when the kitchen timer rings!" A recipe for Grandma Rosie's Chocolate Cake is included. This gentle story will leave children feeling warm and fuzzy. It's perfect for individual sharing, storytime, baking time, and pretty much any time.—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 08/01/2014 Three little cubs, bundled up in coats, scarves, hats, and mittens, are on their way to Grandma’s house. The spirited, short, rhyming text intermittently culminates in the joyous refrain It’s baking day! / It’s baking day! / It’s baking day at Grandma’s! Golden-hued pictures fill up the pages—Grandma is so big, she can almost fill them up herself—though, oddly, there is not a lot of baking in the art, just reading the cookbook and looking at the batter in the bowl (Lick the spoon because we can). But it all seems lots of fun, with dancing while the cake bakes and packets of chocolate goodness to take home. The digital art gives off too much of a glow at times, but there is genuine emotion here, too; readers will both see and feel how much these cubs like being with their grandmother, and she with them. A nice topping is the recipe for Grandma Rosie’s Chocolate Cake that ends the book. - Copyright 2014 Booklist. Loading...
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