Very Hairy Bear

September 17, 2007
With snappy internal rhymes and pared-down illustrations, Schertle (All You Need for a Snowman
) and Phelan (The New Girl... and Me
) chronicle the yearly cycle of “a boulder-big bear with shaggy, raggy, brownbear hair everywhere... except on his no-hair nose.” With his ultra-bushy coat to protect him and a naked nose to guide him, the bear happily eats his way from spring through fall: snapping up salmon from a river; raiding a honey-filled tree despite the bees; lolling in a blueberry patch, gobbling “the berries and the bushes, too” until his nose turns blue. Winter presents the one serious challenge to his untroubled sybaritic existence (“A very hairy bear DOES care about ice cold air on his no-hair nose”), but with a little ingenuity, that worry is put to bed—literally and figuratively. Phelan's easy-does-it, fluid draftsmanship on sepia-toned pages reflects the text's low-key humor, gaining energy from splashes of riveting color (the scene in the blueberry patch merits a look). It's fun to see the many ways the illustrator fits his beguiling behemoth of a hero onto a page or spread, always conveying the sense that the fellow is as cushy (and about as soigné) as an unmade king-size bed. Ages 3-7.

December 1, 2007
PreS-Gr 1-A large, brown bear has hair everywhere except for his nose. As the seasons change, readers witness his bold moves, with the hairless appendage leading the way. He dives into the cool water for salmon, pokes his nose into buzzing beehives, and ferrets out acorns in spite of scolding squirrels. It is when winter comes, and naptime nears, that the animal must find a way to cover up his bare nose. Schertle makes frequent use of interior rhymes and alliteration to move the action along, but there are a few awkward moments that interrupt the flow. So while Phelan's soft, muted close-ups, rendered in strong outlines with pastel and pencil, lend themselves to sharing with a group, readers will have to practice several times to achieve an effective delivery. It is worth the effort, however, to follow this droll creature through the year. The jolt of cobalt on the spread depicting the bear lolling in a blueberry patch provides a glorious contrast to the cream-colored background in a particularly delightful composition. Children will chuckle when the animal scratches his "bear behind" on a tree trunk before settling down for the winter. A fresh selection for storytimes on bears, hair, or hibernation.Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2007
Schertles clever rhyme introduces a big, brown bear, who has hair everywhere except on his no-hair nose. The bear catches silver salmon, turns a messy blue from berries, and tussles with squirrels for acorns. The sticky, licky, honey hunter also braves bees, pushing his bare nose deep in the hollow of a tree for grub. In a dramatic spread dusted in white, the bear wanders in the snow, and as the bees, fish, and squirrels sleep, so does the bear, warm in his bearskin coat. Uh-oh! That nose is cold, but a big bear paw in the right place solves the problem. The jauntiness of the text is more than matched by the pastel-and-pencil illustrations, with shapes so soft and round they have an airbrushed look. The most winning element is Bear himself. Just a look at this lumbering hero, big as a boulder, amusing as a family pet, is enough to bring on a laugh. A terrific way to introduce little ones to the seasons as children follow Bear through the pages.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2008
A playfully lyrical text describes the seasonal activities of "a boulder-big bear with shaggy, raggy brownbear hair everywhere...except on his no-hair nose." For most of the year his exposed nose is of no concern, but when winter comes it's a different story. Loose-handed illustrations in pastel and pencil show the rotund bear from a wide variety of perspectives.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)