Starred review from May 1, 2005
PreS-K -A friendly, talkative goose endears himself to a contemplative polar bear. On each spread, Bear practices a quiet activity, such as reading, writing, and thinking. And each time, Goose interrupts by asking what he is doing and then taking over the activity. When Bear spends his time thinking, Goose declares, "Thinking makes me hungry." He makes a snack and reads a note that he's written to Bear that describes him as "my splendid friend." Bear is touched by the friendship note and responds by giving Goose a big bear hug. The large format makes the book ideal for group sharing and the oversized text is accessible to beginning readers. The cool palette of the pastel illustrations, consisting of shades of blue and white and touches of violet, sets a quiet, friendly tone, and the animals' priceless expressions tell all. The gentle humor will elicit giggles; Goose's silly statements and Bear's patient responses beg to be read aloud. An ideal book for storytimes about friendship and sharing. -"Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI"
Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
February 15, 2005
PreS-Gr. 2. Children will recognize their relationships with friends or siblings in this creative, pointed picture book. Polar Bear is reading when Goose comes rushing in, pulls the book from the bear's hand, and begins reading himself. The same thing happens after Polar Bear starts writing. Even more frustrating are Goose's persistent questions about what the bear is thinking. But after hearing a note Goose has written about his "splendid friend," Polar Bear realizes that Goose is a splendid friend, too. Bloom gets maximum effect with minimum words, in part because of Goose's energetic dialogue. Equally impressive is the artwork. Using pastels, Bloom presents a rubber-bodied goose and a furry bear (whose every hair is distinguishable), setting their antics against backgrounds of blue that shift from dark to light. Though simply shaped, the animals manage an amazing assortment of positions and expressions as the story plays out. Fun to read aloud, the book will also lead to discussion about friendly (and annoying) behavior.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2005
When a curious goose sees a polar bear, the goose just has to know what the bear is doing. Bear can't read or write or think without the goose interrupting--until the goose returns with a snack and a note: "You are my splendid friend." Pastel illustrations add depth to the spare text and give the characters lots of distinction.
(Copyright 2005 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)