  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 10/01/2018 Toddler-PreS–A young bear becomes extremely upset as he remembers how his mother made him leave the park while everyone else got to stay and have fun. After tripping on the sidewalk, he then "had to take off his boots and leave his favorite stick outside." Oh, the injustice of it all! Alone in his room, the toddler has a full-blown tantrum, pushes over a chair, and sends his teddy bear flying. Once his fury is spent, the cub begins to relax. After lunch and a nap, he is recharged and ready to play outside again. The black Prismacolor and digitally colored illustrations have clear clean lines and portray a toddler still in diapers—as evidenced by the snaps on his pants—who has a meltdown. The fact that this very young bear was able to calm himself down and let the anger go is an important lesson in this charming episode. VERDICT Pair this with Molly Bang's When Sophie Gets Angry– Really, Really Angry to introduce another method of dealing with anger and finding peace.—Maryann H. Owen, Oak Creek Public Library WI - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 10/15/2018 A young bear stands in his room, arms crossed, with a disgruntled expression on his face. “Bear is mad,” says the text, and soon we learn why. To start with, he had to leave the playground; next, he fell and “got an owie.” Plus, once home, he couldn’t bring in his “favorite stick.” To Bear, “it is all no fair,” and he’s “very . . . very . . . Mad!” which snowballs into crying and tossing toys. But, eventually, taking breaths proves calming, so does Mom giving him a snack and helping tuck him into bed for a nap, at last. And, upon waking, things look brighter. Gee's spare, uncomplicated prose nicely captures both his escalating frustrations and the de-escalating process. Simply rendered illustrations, featuring soft, rounded figures and a warm palette, primarily keep the focus on Bear, and Gee's careful line strokes masterfully convey his various feelings and accompanying behaviors. Gee’s relatable, insightful, and supportive story effectively portrays not only the intensity of some bad (and mad) moods, but also, reassuringly, that they’ll pass. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. Loading...
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