Tag woodland animals

A Bear is a Bear

jillrbennett Leave a comment

A Bear is a Bear (except when he’s not)
Karl Newson and Anuska Allepuz
Nosy Crow

The adorable looking bear in this book appears to be suffering from amnesia as to his true animal form, brought about by forgetting that come December he’s supposed to be snuggled down inside his cave for the long winter hibernation.

Instead the ursine creature is bumbling around pondering possibilities: might he perhaps be a bird …

Oops no! He can’t fly and as for fitting in the nest – forget it!

If not that, then maybe … a moose? Lack of antlers and an aversion to dry grass quickly put paid to that notion.
What about a dancing prancing fox or even a squirrel? Those don’t feel quite right either.
Stuck up in a tree, bear ponders: “I’m not a squirrel – /they climb too high. // I’m not a fox – / but I gave it a try. // I’m not a moose – / I don’t know why. // And I’m not a bird. / I cannot fly. // So what, oh what / on earth am I?”

As snowflakes whirl around his head that Bear should really be in bed, especially as he is now suffering a bad attack of the grumps to go with his memory loss.

Suddenly realisation dawns … and off he goes to sleep till spring. Sweet dreams! Spring isn’t too far away.

Now, look who’s come a knocking to greet their friend …

BEAR!
Karl’s rhyming text takes the form of Bear’s internal monologue as he wanders hither and thither in his state of forgetfulness, and with its repeat refrain and cumulative structure, it’s a great ‘join in with’ read aloud.

To render her mixed media scenes of the increasingly wintry forest and its animal inhabitants, Anuska Alleppuz has used a carefully considered, beautifully textured palette that really makes readers feel they’re with Bear every step of his journey – the highs and the lows – both physical and mental.

The Mouse Who Wasn’t Scared

jillrbennett Leave a comment

The Mouse Who Wasn’t Scared
Petr Horàček
Walker Books

From the cover illustration of Little Mouse clad in stripy boots, gloves and tail warmer, we know we’re in for a treat with Petr Horàček’s latest picture book.

Despite her size, Little Mouse is a fearless creature. That, at least, is what she assures Rabbit in response to his warning about the woods being full of large scary animals.

Off she goes to explore.

Deep in the woods she comes upon something large and grey under the branches of a tree …

and this is what she says, “You don’t scare me … Do you want to play?”

Receiving no response from the wolf, Little Mouse continues on her way.

In the shadows sits a very large bear, which Little Mouse addresses in similar fashion. Again no reply is forthcoming.

The moose also remains silent in response to her invitation to play,

so Little Mouse proceeds cheerily and confidently onwards until she spies a little house.

The creature waiting behind the door certainly isn’t big and is more than willing to play with Little Mouse; but …

By means of the textual pattern and atmospheric mixed media illustrations, Horàček builds tension slowly, controlling the pacing perfectly until Little Mouse reaches the house.
When readers turn the cut-down page to open the cottage door, they’re already eagerly anticipating something unexpected though perhaps not what is revealed waiting within.

A great read aloud be that with a nursery group or with individuals.

The Very Long Sleep

jillrbennett Leave a comment

The Very Long Sleep
Polly Noakes
Child’s Play

Polly Noakes’ latest picture book is essentially a delightful extended joke.

Meet four animal friends Fox, Chipmunk, Marmot and Bear who decide to set up home together. They enthusiastically set about so doing but there is a snag: three of said animals hibernate come the arrival of winter’s frost, something they fail to tell Fox.

Inevitably he is disappointed that none of the others stays awake to share his specially prepared food; he himself is unable to sleep and feels extremely lonely.

Then one day the deliveries start. First it’s a parcel for Chipmunk; next comes a package for Marmot;

and that is followed some weeks later, by a large item for Bear.

Fox is the only one not to receive something through the pigeon post. He waits; his boredom increases: surely a little peep wouldn’t hurt, he thinks.
All of a sudden …

Now what could all that noise mean? …

Illustrated with warmth and humour, this is lovely and potentially rather noisy read aloud to share snuggled up together, especially after a woodland walk. I’d suggest mugs of hot chocolate to sip along with it.

Have You Heard?

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Have You Heard?
Hannah Dale
Words & Pictures

With echoes of the traditional Chicken Licken and the falling sky, Hannah Dale has cooked up a rhyming beauty.
A fox – a big red one – is on the prowl; that’s what Mouse decides when he’s awoken from his slumbers one night.
He tells the ‘sleepy, slimy’ frog who passes the news to sparrow, who informs squirrel, who tells owl and owl tells hedgehog

and so on …

until,  so rooster cautions goose, “His claws are like needles, his eyes shine like lights And he’ll eat you up in THREE BIG BITES!”
This well-constructed dialogue poem wherein the fox’s fearsome nature is elaborated upon by each woodland creature in turn, demonstrates the consequences of such speculative chitchat.
Hannah Dale’s beautiful and realistic watercolour paintings capture so well the growing alarm that seizes the animals until all is finally revealed (to readers, though perhaps not the panic-stricken characters herein) in a glorious culmination that will melt your heart.
A captivating read aloud treat.

I’ve signed the charter  

Towering Tree Puzzle / Lift-the-Flap and Colour:Jungle & Ocean

jillrbennett Leave a comment

The Towering Tree Puzzle
illustrated by Teagan White
Chronicle Books
Essentially this is a sturdy box containing 17 large, easily manipulated, double-sided pieces depicting Spring/Summer scenes on one side and Autumn/Winter ones on the reverse. Each piece shows various woodland animals playing and working together; a whole tree community indeed and the puzzle when complete is over 130 centimetres long. Nothing special about that, you might be thinking but, the language potential is enormous, especially as there is no one right way of fitting the pieces together: this open-endedness also means that if more than one child plays with the pieces, there is a co-operative element too.

The artwork is splendid: each detailed piece, a delight.
Every branch of the tree generates a different story, or rather, many possibilities; ditto the completed tree. Some children like to story about the pieces as they put them into place, others prefer to complete the puzzle and then tell one or several stories which may or may not be connected. You could try a completely open-ended ‘take it in turns tell me about’ game with children sitting in a circle for starters, or perhaps choose a focus, say animals, plants or perhaps, events: the possibilities are many.
I’ve used this marvellous resource in several different settings and each time it’s been received with enormous enthusiasm and the users have shown great reluctance to part with it afterwards.

Lift-the-Flap and Colour Jungle
Lift-the-Flap and Colour Ocean
Alice Bowsher
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books/ Natural History Museum
In this collaborative publishing enterprise, children can choose from one of two locations to start their colouring in experience. The first is the South American Amazon jungle wherein jaguars hunt, slow sloths dangle, alligators lie in wait for a tasty meal, stick insects and parrots share the lush foliage, and swinging monkeys abound.
In the Ocean they can encounter diving dolphins, and shoals of fish, visit a coral reef with its abundance of sea creatures, notice the seaweed fronds that provide a safe hiding place for fish; and dive right down to the deepest dark depths.
A brief, rhyming text accompanies each adventure gently informing and guiding the young user as s/he explores the location, lifts the flaps and adds colour to the black and white pages – five spreads per book. And the final page of each book has an information paragraph that focuses on the importance of protecting the specific environment.
These will I’m sure be seized on by young enthusiasts, particularly those with an interest in wild life and will one hopes, leave them wanting to discover more about the inhabitants of each location.

If I Were a Whale
Shelley Gill and Erik Brooks
Little Bigfoot
This contemplative, charmer of a board book successfully mixes rhyme and science facts. It imagines the possibilities of being a minke, a beluga playing with icebergs, a pilot whale and then these beauties …

If those don’t suit there’s a tusked narwhal, a blue whale, or a humpback perhaps? There are eleven possibilities in all, each one beautifully illustrated by Erik Brooks who manages to capture the essence of each one in those watery worlds of his.
Yes, it’s a small introduction to a huge topic but this is a pleasure to read aloud, is likely to be demanded over and over, and to inspire tinies to want to know more about these amazing mammals.

I’ve signed the charter  

Hug Me, Please!

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Hug me, Please!
Przemystaw Wechterowicz and Emilia Dziubak
Words & Pictures
Przemystaw Wechterowicz weaves a seemingly simple, enchanting, tale of two bears.
With the taste of sweet honey on their tongues, Daddy Bear and Little Bear, spend the day hugging each and every character whose path they cross on the woodland walk they take together.
First off is Mr Beaver, a somewhat reluctant recipient who nonetheless agrees, only to discover ‘It felt strange but nice.’ Heartened by the experience, Little Bear suggests finding others to hug and so they do. he bestows a calming hug upon the alarmed Miss Weasel, two hares, an elderly elk, a Red-Riding Hood-hungry wolf …

even an anaconda.

Full of the feel-good factor, with occasional touches of surrealism …

this story imparts a vital message concerning the importance of being able to show and receive affection openly, about empathy and not overlooking anyone. (Listeners will be quick to point out at the end of the story, who it is that’s yet to be a hug receiver.
Emilia Dziubak’s bears are real large creatures with very sharp claws to their paws but this is the only scary thing about them;

and she beautifully rings the emotional changes with the animals’ expressions. I also love the focus on small things – a rainbow hued caterpillar, the delights of dancing, for instance, that are sources of pleasure; and the way in which scenes are framed with things of the natural world – leaves, berries, carrots, and wild flowers.
Both author and illustrator are award winners in Poland; it’s easy to see why. this is sheer delight from cover to cover.

I’ve signed the charter 

The Great AAA-OOO!

jillrbennett Leave a comment

%0A

The Great AAA-OOO!
Jonny Lambert
Little Tiger Press
I’ve had to read this so many times in quick succession on several occasions that I’ve been rendered almost permanently hoarse – hopefully only a temporary trouble! Just gotta stop all that AAA-OOOing or my voice box will pack up completely and then I’ll be chasing after the brilliant Jonny Lambert demanding compensation for damages… But it is just SOOO brilliant and such STUPENDOUS fun – a crackingly great read aloud – that it makes everything worthwhile.; five packs of throat sweets not withstanding.
Better get on and explain what all the fuss is about. Fuss it certainly is for Mouse, on his way home through the dark rackety wood hears, guess what … AAA-OOO! AAA-OOO! AAA-OOO! Here we go … Owl thinks Mouse is responsible:
“ Twaddle, not I! ” hooted Owl.
“If it was not you, then who,
tu-whit tu-whoo, is making this
awful AAA-OOO?”
Mouse thinks it was Owl but it’s gotta have been somebody so who ? Certainly not Bear; he’s convinced it’ s one of the others … but there it goes again AAA-OOO! AAA-OOO!

%0A

‘KNOCK, SMACK, THWACK.’ That’s Moose demanding to know if one of the three is the perpetrator of the din. Hot denials follow and another howl. By now jitters and chitters have begun to set in: There’s a mention of a monster – “boggley-eyed and blue” – is Mouse’s suggestion. “Or hairy and scary … with big claws.” – that’s Moose’s offering, to which Bear adds … “huge teeth that chomp, gnash and chew!” Owl is having none of it; monster indeed. But then comes an enormous “AAAAA-OOOOO!”
Dove joins those on the branch and then Bear scoops up whimpering Wolf Cub from below. There are mentions of a pie,

%0A

“A pie?” roared Bear.”Save yourselves! Follow me!”

followed hastily by a whole lot of scrambling higher up the tree, which is starting to show signs of stress. A resounding crack! echoes through the woods and catastrophe …

%0A

Oh-oh! the culprit is revealed, apologies proffered and an explanation provided, followed by a mighty hug – Bear to Wolf Cub and a promise – ditto.
Finally peace, harmony and sleep reign over the rackety wood until …
My latest rendering of this corker of a tale resulted in a largish group of 5s to 9s going around a school AAA-OOOing with great gusto, so much so that I felt duty bound to ask them to damp down their howls or we’d all be in trouble. If that isn’t testament enough to the quality of this tale, then nothing is. Dare I say, it’s a howlingly, show-stoppingly, way beyond magnificent, book.

WNDB_Button localbookshops_NameImage-2