Room for Bear

January 1, 2015
Creating a blended family demands a new choice in housing in Gavin's picture-book debut.The matter-of-fact text begins, "One spring, Bear came to visit and never left," as it introduces the title character's integration into a family of ducks. While they get along fabulously, the ducks' small, lakeside house isn't spacious enough for Bear, so they head out in search of a home that will better accommodate everyone. Unfortunately, nothing is quite right, and they return to the small house by the lake. An interior spread that doubles as cover art shows the poor outcome of this decision, with Bear crowding the ducks on their sofa, his weight causing it to tip precariously to one end. Feeling like a nuisance, Bear departs and finds a cave dwelling. Although this solves the problem of living space, the separation smarts. In a clear case of absence making the heart grow ever fonder, not to mention more resourceful, Bear builds the ducks a small home that can sit right at the entrance to his cave. Problem solved! Throughout, Gavin's soft watercolors capture the shifting moods of the story while taking full advantage of the contrast in size between Bear and the ducks to maximize humor. Combined with her understated text, they mark her a new artist to watch. Just ducky. (Picture book. 3-6)

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January 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-When a family of ducks welcomes a bear into their home, they don't consider the size of his body. "Things were always a little crowded," especially at bedtime (he sleeps on the roof) and mealtimes (his feet hang out the front window when he eats). But both the large and the small animals in this story have big hearts, so they persevere through a few hardships and sacrifice a few comforts until they find a solution that suits one and all. Gavin's plump characters are an endearing bunch. The watercolor and pencil scenes include familiar furnishings and warm colors that will make readers feel right at home. The story also lends itself to discussions about family diversity.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2015
Preschool-G This charming and thoroughly funny story celebrates friendship and the work it can take to maintain it. Bear emerges from his winter hibernation and visits a duck family of five that lives in a tiny house. Bear loves the duck family and does everything he can to fit inhe stretches his giant frame on the roof to sleep; he sticks his giant brown head out of the roof when he sits inside. The duck family and Bear are determined to make it work. They go on a house hunt through the forest, but what's right for the ducks is awful for Bear. Bear's ingenious solution will delight readers. Gavin's watercolor-and-pencil illustrations are filled with touching details of Bear-duck accommodations, like a duck perched on one of Bear's shoulders as they share a set of headphones. The lessons of what it takes to stay together relates to families, too. Good companion reads for this debut picture book are Alexis York Lumbard's Pine and the Winter Sparrow (2015) and, of course, Goldilocks.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)