Review by Booklist Review
The second Bear and Mouse book takes place on Bear's birthday. Mouse is quite determined to give his friend a party with balloons, a present, and a cake, but the enormous bear is (to put it mildly) not receptive. Mouse shows up at his friend's house in a series of increasingly inventive disguises, but Bear refuses to be feted, even roaring, I do not like BIRTHDAYS! With a nicely cadenced text in four short chapters, wonderfully fresh ink-and-watercolor illustrations, and a funny climax, this story works equally well for young independent readers or as a read-aloud for younger children.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-The winning stars of A Visitor for Bear (Candlewick, 2008) make a return engagement, this time in early-reader format. Grumpy old Bear is totally uninterested in celebrating his birthday, but his cheery friend Mouse doggedly dons several comical disguises to trick and cajole him into enjoying the festive trappings of a party invitation, balloons, and a present. It is all to no avail, until Mouse leaves a beautiful homemade cake on Bear's doorstep; it's hard for him to ignore his favorite flavor and the fact that no one has ever made him a cake before. Mouse, hiding in the cake, brings back the balloons, the party hats, and the gift, and Bear's birthday is celebrated, at last, in fine and joyful style. Whimsical full-color ink and watercolor illustrations hilariously depict the yin and yang of enormous, cantankerous Bear and tiny, merry Mouse. A sprinkling of colorful, out-of-the-ordinary vocabulary words and phrases adds welcome spice to the narrative. Fluent early readers will be pulled into this title by the appeal of its universal subject, entertaining characters, and the satisfying story with just the right amount of tension unfolding in four short chapters.-Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Primary) Mouse may have won Bear's friendship in their picture book debut, A Visitor for Bear (rev. 3/08), but apparently he didn't change Bear's attitude. Together again, now in a book for beginning readers, Mouse is still politely persistent and Bear is as misanthropic as ever. Though Bear insists it's not his birthday, Mouse has a party invitation that says differently. "'Let me see that!' demanded Bear...'This is your handwriting!'" Bear sweeps Mouse out the door and carries on with his housework; he's "always very, very busy on his birthday." Mouse, as fans of the first book know, doesn't let a little antisocial behavior deter him. He comes back again and again, first disguised as a tiny deliveryman with balloons ("You are not a deliveryman...I can see your tail"), then as a mail carrier with a card, and finally as a gift-bearing mini-Santa who tricks Bear into admitting it is in fact his birthday. The witty back-and-forth between these two sparring partners is similar to that in the first book, but the easy reader format is a much better choice for a fifty-six-page illustrated story. Denton's friendly ink and watercolor pictures are just as effective here at conveying tone and emotion. Mouse's attentiveness eventually pays off, and Bear ends up enjoying his birthday party. It's amazing what homemade chocolate birthday cake and a determined friend can accomplish. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Fans of the 2008 picture book A Visitor for Bear will delight in this second offering from Becker and Denton about curmudgeonly Bear and his intrepidly friendlynot to mention "small and gray and bright-eyed"visitor, Mouse. This time, however, the book is an early reader, welcoming new readers to independently encounter this odd couple's deepening friendship. At book's opening, although Bear has accepted Mouse's presence, he rejects all presents and denies Mouse's efforts to celebrate his birthday. Undaunted, Mouse persists in showing up in a variety of disguises to deliver all sorts of goodies and gifts. As in their earlier picture book, Mouse draws up on the sheer force of his cheery goodwill to chip away at Bear's resolve, ultimately succeeding in forging a deeper bond between them. The text is broken into four chapters, and it reads as a well-pitched combination of humorous dialogue and omniscient commentary. Meanwhile, the energetic ink-and-watercolor illustrations brim with humor while firmly establishing Mouse and Bear as friends new readers will enjoy visiting time and again. (Early reader. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
