Sunday, April 15, 2018

Review: But the Bear Came Back by Tammi Sauer


BUT THE BEAR CAME BACK
by Tammi Sauer
Illustrated by Dan Taylor
Sterling Publishers
April 3, 2018
Picture Book
ages 4 and up
32 pages




What happens when a bear comes knocking at your door—and won’t go away?

“And I said, ‘Go home, bear.'
And that was that.
But the bear came back.”
 


Knock, knock. Who’s there? A BEAR! A furry, friendly PERSISTENT bear. And no matter how many times a grouchy little boy tries to tell him that bears don’t belong in houses, he keeps coming back—until, one day, he doesn’t. Only then does the boy realize how much he cares about the bear . . . and misses him. Can he find his friend again?



MY TIDBITS

With a superb balance between text and illustration, this is a humorous story which leaves off with a heart-warming sigh.

A knock at the door reveals a bear, who wants to come into the house. And this bear isn't going to take 'no' for an answer. When his persistence suddenly. . .unexpectedly comes to an end, it doesn't have the result which might be expected.

Bear is a big, furry, somewhat clumsy looking and oh-what a huggable mass. Although his persistence is ridiculous, he never comes across as creepy. It's still easy to understand the boy as he turns down the bear time and again. And when things flip-flop, it's a touching treat.

The text is simple and great for a read-aloud, and while it flows well, it's the fitting illustrations which make this such a delightful read. The two balance each other nicely, adding humor and all the other fitting emotions at just the right time. By the end, it's hard not to love both characters and feel warm and fuzzy from the happy ending. This is a lovely read and sure to be one that ends with the request to be read again. And again. And again.



And here they are. . .

The author. . .
Tammi Sauer is the author of Sterling Publishing's Chicken Dance, Bawk and Roll, Cowboy Camp, Mary Had a Little Glam, Caring For Your Lion, Your Alien Returns and Your Alien (for which she earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus). A former teacher and library specialist, Tammi is an active blogger and highly involved in the children's writer community. Her local bookstore, Bet of Books in Edmond, OK, named July 9 Tammi Sauer Day!
Follow her on Twitter at @SauerTammi. Visit her at tammisauer.com.
Tammi is available for interview.


The Illustrator. . .
Dan Taylor is a children's book illustrator from the UK. Dan has worked with a variety of publishers, including Simon & Schuster, Usborne, Campbell Books, and Scholastic.




No comments: