Tuesday, October 20, 2009

All Things Kid Lit: A Birthday For Bear

Picture Book Pick of the Week:
 

by Bonny Becker
illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
ISBN: 9780763637460
Candlewick Press, October 2009
56 pages
Fiction










“Bear pulled himself up to his full height and roared, ‘I do not like presents. I do not like birthday cards. I do not like balloons. I do not like parties. I do not like BIRTHDAYS!’” Still, Bear’s friend Mouse is sure he can convince Bear to celebrate. Full-color ink and watercolor illustrations.



From School Library Journal:

Grumpy old Bear is totally uninterested in celebrating his birthday, but his cheery friend Mouse doggedly dons several comical disguises to trick and cajole him into enjoying the festive trappings of a party invitation, balloons, and a present. It is all to no avail, until Mouse leaves a beautiful homemade cake on Bear's doorstep; it's hard for him to ignore his favorite flavor and the fact that no one has ever made him a cake before. Mouse, hiding in the cake, brings back the balloons, the party hats, and the gift, and Bear's birthday is celebrated, at last, in fine and joyful style.
 
Read Alikes: 

Top News In Children's Lit:

New York Times
October 13, 2009

This is a big week for the grade-school set. Greg Heffley, the crude and clueless protagonist of Jeff Kinney's wildly popular book series, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," is back. The Internet is filled with testimonials about children who were frustrated readers until they got their hands on a Wimpy Kid book. Some parents have been less enthusiastic. But given the books' powerful appeal among both girls and boys, child development experts say parents have a lot to learn from Greg and company. While books like the Harry Potter series create an imaginative fantasy world, the Wimpy Kid books give us a rare glimpse into a child's ethical mind.

Austin American-Statesman (TX)
October 13, 2009

The publicity material that came with Kate DiCamillo's new book, "The Magician's Elephant," says it's for ages 8-13. And it is. And those young readers will certainly enjoy it on their own levels, just as they enjoyed DiCamillo's first novel, "Because of Winn-Dixie," and her Newbery Medal winner, "The Tale of Despereaux." But what a shame such a label will keep many adults from discovering an extraordinary book from an exceptional writer. Of the books you read this year, "The Magician's Elephant" could very well be the one that lingers.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I have seen the Magician's Elephant mentioned a lot recently - I thought it was YA, not for 8 year-olds! I don't think you need to worry about adults dimissing it - the hype is amazing for that book. I'll keep an eye out for it!

Marie Cloutier said...

Birthday for Bear sounds adorable. I wish I was still working in a children's department! :-)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...