Dog and Bear: Three to Get Ready

Lift the flap and black turns to white at the start of this unusual and sophisticated book of opposites. Bold colors and carefully crafted die-cuts reveal a series of unexpected opposites. Readers are sure to delight in the surprise of each page turn.

A small bull is told to go away by a bigger bull. In turn, the little bull feels bigger when he calls smaller farm animals names (“chicken!” he shouts to chicken). The young bull deflates (literally) when called a bully. The gentle ending satisfies with forgiveness and friendship. Readers will appreciate the the humor created by double meanings of the words.

Three short stories about two friends, a small dachshund, and a teddy bear, are funny, touching, and recognizable. The illustrations have a naïve quality to capture the simplicity and warmth of the friendship and complement the story as told in both narration and the characters’ dialog.

Even the best of friends sometimes have problems they must work out. And it’s true for Dog and Bear, the best friends who can get angry but get over it. Simply crafted illustrations are the perfect complement to the uncomplicated text.

Textured illustrations cleverly incorporate die-cuts exploring the many shades of green. Language is as inspired as the textured paintings, subtly suggesting an environmental note. The book concludes with “forever green” in which a man and a child admire a large, lush tree, presumably from a seedling planted earlier.

Children will expand their vocabulary and play with hidden images in this unusual and elegantly illustrated alphabet book. A solid black frame with a one word descriptor focuses on an object. Lift the flap, and the image becomes the letter in full color, thus inviting readers to play with both words and images.

The alphabet is cleverly used to tell an alliterative story and to depict a range of emotions in this charming book. Not only was Walter worried, Priscilla was puzzled, Elliott was ecstatic, and so on. Each is created by the letter itself, making playful visuals for the reader’s eye.

What if two seals play with a beached ball but a third seal isn’t invited to join them? What happens if the other two seals play in the water but the third one doesn’t? But in the third “what if” scenario, things turn out well for all! This seemingly simple saga is sure to require multiple readings — and generate lots of discussion.

Why is the question a small rabbit asks a gentle but imposing bear. Why can’t the bear go into rabbit’s hole? Why did rabbit fall from the tree? Bear patiently answers most of the questions, but for some there are no answers. Expressive art and child-friendly text fuse seamlessly in this moving and evocative book.