Bears and Boos

“A sweet, brief rhyming tale. . . . Enjoyable holiday fare for the littlest trick-or-treaters.” —Kirkus Reviews

Big Brown Bear and the four little bears can’t wait to dress up for Halloween. Everyone grabs their costumes from the costume box, but—oops!—in the rush, Floppy is knocked on her furry behind, and now there are no costumes left for her! Fuzzy says she’s sorry and offers Floppy a golden gown. Then each of the other bears shares an item with Floppy, and soon she’s dressed like a queen—just in time for the parade! Shirley Parenteau and David Walker combine cheerful read-aloud rhyme and irresistibly charming art in another story for the youngest cubs and their big bears.

The four-line rhyming text scans well, perfect for chanting along. Acrylic art in a pastel palette depict friendly bears with soft, rounded bodies, and the full-page spreads are nicely mixed with single-page illustrations. In what’s sure to be an unusual Halloween season, the simple pleasures and clamor of dressing up will be appreciated by preschoolers.
—School Library Journal

This latest in Parenteau and Walker’s Bears on Chairs series is a sweet, brief rhyming tale for very young children that emphasizes kindness and sharing—a fine message for Halloween or any time. The lilting verses move smoothly and rhythmically and express a familiar scenario. The colorful, expressive illustrations are endearing; minimal text and lots of white space per page focus attention on the characters and goings-on. Enjoyable holiday fare for the littlest trick-or-treaters.
—Kirkus Reviews

Written in rhymed couplets that read aloud smoothly and illustrated with expressive acrylic paintings, this picture book ends on an upbeat note that suits the holiday theme. An appealing addition to the series that began with Bears on Chairs (2009).
—Booklist Online

Walker’s simply rendered acrylic art packs oodles of expressiveness into the soft and fuzzy cubs’ faces and body language, affirming Parenteau’s message: “When the bears all share,/ the bears all win./ Let the Halloween/ celebration begin!”
—Publishers Weekly

Shirley Parenteau is the author of the Bears on Chairs series of picture books as well as the Friendship Dolls middle-grade historical fiction series. She lives near Sacramento, California.

David Walker is the illustrator of the Bears on Chairs series as well as many other books, including Flip, Flap, Fly by Phyllis Root and the Peep and Ducky books by David Martin. He lives in North Carolina.

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