Bear wants to sing

When a young tricyclist loses their cargo, musical instruments bounce into the grass unnoticed. Strumming a newfound ukulele, Bear requests an audience, to which a long-tailed mouse gladly agrees. But before Bear can begin, a crow alights and, with a newly grasped tambourine, sings first. This routine continues as Bear is cut off in turn by a snake, a tortoise, and a fox before finally getting the chance in a song well worth waiting for. But a tepid response results in Bear trudging off to lick his wounds--with the ever-supportive Mouse close behind. Fagan presents rich, dialogue-heavy text, infused with lilting rhyme schemes, onomatopoeia, and a humor that builds throughout. (Bear's song, in particular, will draw laughs.) Seiferling's dreamy graphite, digitally colored illustrations feature expressive anthropomorphic critters against intricately detailed landscapes. This tender tale of creativity, manners, and nurturing friendship by the creators of King Mouse has all the makings of a contemporary classic. Ages 3--7. (Sept.)

From the author-illustrator duo of the effervescent King Mouse (2019) comes another sparkling whimsy. Portrayed in the same delicate brown-and-white graphite illustrative style, the troupe of delightfully expressive animals--fox, bear, mouse, crow, snake, and tortoise--returns. This time, it's the bear who has the featured spot. The story opens wordlessly: A double-page spread shows a human child pedaling a tricycle cart in a forest, but the musical instruments the child has been transporting have bounced out. The page turn shows the bear discovering the ukulele. He plinks it and tells the mouse that he wants to sing a song. "I'm all ears," the mouse replies. But before he can start, the crow flies in, discovering the tambourine. She grabs it and bursts into a clever song. "That is a good song," the bear admits, preparing to sing his own. But he is interrupted by the snake, who, finding the drum, bursts into song. And so on. The bear finally gets to sing his song, but the polite, tepid response of the others hurts his feelings, sending him off on his own. The mouse follows and gently eases the bear's wounded pride. The evocative illustrations, skillfully portraying the emotive faces and gestures of the anthropomorphic animals, paired with the humorous (the read-aloud will be lots of fun) and compassionate narrative harkens comfortingly to a softer, gentler world. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A delicate story full of humor and friendship. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.