Day: December 16, 2010

Old Bear and His Cub

| Tasha

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Old Bear and His Cub by Olivier Dunrea

Old Bear and Little Cub live together.  Old Bear loves Little Cub with all his heart, and Little Cub loves Old Bear with all of his heart.  Old Bear makes sure that Little Cub eats all of his porridge, wears his scarf in the snow, doesn’t get hurt, and takes his nap.  But when Old Bear catches a cold from not wearing a scarf himself, it is Little Cub that knows exactly what Old Bear needs to feel better.  This is a delight of a book that will have children laughing as the roles reverse between the adult and child.

Dunrea’s latest has such a winning tone to it.  Reading just the first few lines, I knew I was in for a treat.  And it just kept getting better.  Dunrea uses repetition to great effect here, as Little Cub refuses to do what Old Bear is telling him, insisting that he won’t and Old Bear insists that he will.  Then Old Bear stares hard at Little Cub and Little Cub does as he is told.  The same exchanges happen when it is Old Bear who won’t do what is best for him, complete with the hard stare. 

I also appreciate a book where the adult’s relationship to the youngster is not clarified.  This makes the book work for many families, allowing them to see themselves reflected here.  Whether it is a grandparent raising a child, a single parent, an uncle, this book reflects that relationship and that love.

Dunrea’s illustrations center around the pair of bears and their relationship to one another.  Both obviously headstrong and very loved by one another.  The bears are shown against Dunrea’s white backgrounds that are a mark of his work.  While the white could be stark, here it serves to highlight the warmth of the relationship.

A great winter read, this book is all about loving and families.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Philomel.

Make sure to check out the sketches and studies for the book at Olivier Dunrea’s website.

Jake: A Small Present Filled with Christmas Joy

| Tasha

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Jake by Audrey Couloumbis

Only a few days before Christmas, Jake’s mother falls and breaks her leg.  With his mother in the hospital awaiting surgery, Jake has to get to know a grandfather that he has only talked with on the phone.  When Jake’s grandfather arrives, he is nothing like Jack had imagined him.  Though gruff and rather military, his grandfather also has friendly crinkly eyes and a voice that is deep and friendly.  He does have a nightmare dog that Jake is definitely wary of.  Luckily, Jake also has a next door neighbor who takes care of him occasionally and is an adult to ask the important questions of the hospital, handle the car that was left in the parking lot, and also gives Jake a place to feel at home.  As Jake gets to know his grandfather, he realizes that memories he thought were of his father are actually memories of his grandfather.  The holidays arrive, and Jake, his mother and their family of friends create a warm and happy holiday for one another.

This is a small book with a huge heart.  Jake is a protagonist who is bright, funny and optimistic.  The depiction of a single mother is well done, especially with her fascinating group of friends and the neighbor.  This is a child who has been surrounded by loving adults his entire life and it shows.  His bonding with his grandfather is shown clearly and is given plenty of time to mature naturally.  The depiction of the older characters in the book is very well done with plenty of flirting and personality.  These are multi-dimensional people who are a pleasure to spend time with.

A joyful holiday read, the book has plenty of warm moments and great characters.  It is a celebration of family, no matter what that family may look like.  

Reviewed from copy received from Random House.