Side by Side
Rachel Bright and Debi Gliori
Orchard Books
Deep in the heart of Wintermouse Wood,
Down in the grass where the autumn trees stood,
Lived all kinds of creatures …
So begins a search by one of the wood’s tiniest residents, huge-hearted Little Mouseling, who wants a special friend to stay by her side. All manner of animals offer friendship but, unlike Toad, the mouseling can’t swim, she’s too frightened to climb like Big Brown Squirrel and she certainly cannot fly like Batty Fangs. Seemingly there’s no perfect match for our little seeker: sad and quite alone she has run out of scurries and skips, and tears begin to fall.

But then up from a little hole pops a head belonging to ‘A tinyful, weenimous, little black vole.’ Equally shy and quiet, he cannot ignore Mouseling’s tears; indeed he offers a wonderful antidote to sadness. Let’s dance and sing ourselves happy, he suggests and thus they start to discover all manner of things a twosome can do, a twosome that is destined to last a life time. ‘A friend by your side makes life twice as good.’

 

I know not whether Rachel Bright and Debi Gliori are good friends but they’ve certainly demonstrated a superb author/artist partnership in this book.
Rachel Bright’s captivating rhyming text just trips off the tongue and is a pleasure to read aloud even without any visuals. Add to that Debi Gliori’s enchanting, warmly comic illustrations and the result is a gratifying book to share with individuals, groups and classes. I love the way Debi uses shadow

and light to draw our focus of attention to characters

and events in the story.

Where Bear?
Sophy Penn
Puffin Books pbk
I missed this one earlier but am so pleased to get the chance to review Sophy Henn’s debut picture book now.
It features a bear and a boy who have been friends living together in boy’s house since the bear was a cub and the boy, well a lot smaller than he is now.

Eventually Bear outgrows the house and the boy, determined to find his ursine friend a new abode, sets out with him on a mission to find the just right home.
“But where bear?” asks the boy. However, finding a new place for his best pal to be “bearish and big” proves more than a little challenging: bear turns down every single possibility boy offers

“Then where bear? “ is the oft-repeated question until finally the boy suggests a location that is acceptable. Both are happy especially as they are able to keep in touch and remain the best of friends.

A truly heartwarming tale that explores such important ideas as moving away from a best friend, learning to let go and seeing things from another’s point of view.
Sophy Henn’s characterisation is wonderful and her visual portrayal simply gorgeous. Indeed everything about this book is noteworthy – the choice of colours, the use of space on the page; simplicity is the key and it works brilliantly.

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