stories

Review: Bear Has a Story to Tell by Philip C. Stead

| Tasha

bear has a story to tell

Bear Has a Story to Tell by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead

Fall was ending and winter was coming, but before he hibernated, Bear had a story to tell.  Unfortunately, the other animals were too busy to hear the story.  Mouse was gathering seeds and when Bear helped Mouse find lots of seeds, Mouse tunneled underground for the winter.  Duck was getting ready to fly south and all Bear had time to do was check the wind direction for him and say he would miss Duck before he flew off.  Frog too was looking for a warm place to sleep.  Bear helped dig a hole for him to sleep in.  Mole was already way underground and asleep.  So Bear too headed off to sleep.  When spring came, Bear still had a story to share.  Soon his friends were gathered around him to listen, and you will have to read the book to find out what story he shared!

The husband/wife team behind the Caldecott winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee have returned with a book that has a quiet, contemplative beauty that is haunting.  It’s one of those picture books that can be read as a quick bedtime story, but has so much more depth than that.  Bear’s rather lonely start to his hibernation also has a series of close connections to friends.  His spring wake up is filled with a warmth that echoes the seasonal change. 

The writing is gentle and filled with small details that really show the slowing nature of the start of winter.  There is time to count the clouds and look at the color of the leaves, at least for Bear.  The connections between Bear and his many friends are also written with a richness that adds much to the story.  The circular nature of the ending is also an invitation to start the book all over again.  One that readers will be happy to accept. 

Erin Stead’s illustrations have a beautiful delicacy to them.  The rounded shoulders of the very furry Bear show a patience and yet a weight too.  There are moments of celebration, when Bear is rolling in the newly lush grass that are filled with cheer.  It is especially remarkable near the lonely and poignant image of Bear alone as the first snow begins to fall.  Lovely.

It’s the perfect time of year to read this book, ease yourself into the winter months and quietly wish autumn farewell.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: The Lonely Book by Kate Bernheimer

| Tasha

lonely book

The Lonely Book by Kate Bernheimer, illustrated by Chris Sheban

When the book first arrived at the library, it was shiny and new.  It was placed on display and a long list of children waited to read it.  Then the book was moved to the regular children’s shelves with other books that were not so new too.  It was still happy, since it got checked out often.  But as the book grew older, it got checked out less and less.  It had a tear and was missing its last page.  Then one day, a girl found the book, read it and loved it.  She took it home, carried it to school with her, and even shared it at show and tell.  The book felt loved again.  But the next story time, the girl chose a different book and forgot the special book.  She remembered when she got home, but the library was already closed.  Then when she got to the library a week later, the book was gone, withdrawn and meant for the book sale.  This is a sentimental but gorgeous book that every person who has ever loved a book will enjoy.

When I started this book, I was not a fan.  I worried that it would tip into the saccharine and overly sweet.  It is sentimental, as I mentioned above, but it never tips too far into that mode.  Instead I found myself reading a book that brought me back to the joy of discovering books as a child and finding myself closely attached to them.  I still can’t have a logical discussion of the Little House on the Prairie series, since I read them to tatters as a little girl.  I love this book for bringing me back to that.

Sheban’s art is soft and dreamy.  There are often books that glow with the wonder inside of them, something that book lovers will really appreciate.  This is a quiet book, and the art supports that, depicting quiet time reading and bonding with a story.

A great gift for any book-loving child, I think this book will speak most to adults who look fondly back on the books of their childhood.  Perhaps a holiday gift for your favorite librarian or reading teacher.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Schwartz & Wade.

Review: When I Was Small by Sara O’Leary

| Tasha

WhenIWasSmall_cover

When I Was Small by Sara O’Leary, illustrated by Julie Morstad

Henry asks his parents what they were like when they were small.  The book starts out normally enough with his mother explaining that she was called Dot because her full name, Dorothea, was too big for her.  But then things get creative!  Dot was so small she wore the same shoes as her doll.  She swam in the birdbath.  She jumped rope with a piece of yarn.  Her bed was a mitten.  Her father built her a doll house, and she lived in it.  At the end of this story from his mother, the two of them agree that one of the reasons that his mother looked forward to growing up was to share stories with a child of her own. 

O’Leary writes with a quiet joy that infuses the entire book.  There is a gentle playfulness throughout and children will immediately know that this is a story being told and not the truth.  Morstad’s illustrations have a delicacy to them that works particularly well with the more tall tale parts of the story.  The illustrations have a sweetness to them that make me think of the old Golden Books.  They are never saccharine thanks to their whimsy.

This is the third in the series about Henry, but the first one that I have read.  The first book in the series won the 2007 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award in Canada, so that one is definitely worth seeking out too.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from pdf received from Simply Read Books.

You can also view the trailer below:

Review: Mooshka, a Quilt Story by Julie Paschkis

| Tasha

mooshka

Mooshka, a Quilt Story by Julie Paschkis

Karla loved her quilt that her grandmother had made for her from scraps.   Karla had named the quilt Mooshka.  Mooshka kept her warm at night and smelled just right.  But the most special thing that Mooska could do was talk.  Mooshka would wish Karla sweet dreams and in the morning invite her to pancakes.  If Karla couldn’t sleep at night, Mooshka would tell her the story of any patch on the quilt.  There were playful stories from tablecloth scraps, romantic stories from a bandana, exciting stories from a red scrap.  When baby Hannah moved into Karla’s room, Karla was upset.  She tried to get Mooshka to soothe her with a story, but Mooshka would not speak.  Then when Hannah woke up crying and could not be settled, Karla found that Mooshka might be able to share stories with other people too.

Paschkis has created a book that speaks to the power of story and family.  There is a wonderful spirit of discovery and sharing throughout the book as family stories are shared.  The book has a circular feel, coming to a satisfying close that makes the circle complete.  This sense of place, history and story brings a richness to the book.

What is most distinctive about the book is its art.  Done in ink and gouache, each page is bordered in patchwork, giving the entire book a warm and cozy feel.  The patterns also offer a lot of color, making a feast for the eyes as each page is turned. 

A warm book about quilts, family and stories, this book is ideal for reading under your own quilt and sharing your family stories there.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Peachtree Publishers.