Review by Booklist Review
Bear's heart is heavy and full of sads, like when your brand-new toy breaks on the first day or your friend sits with someone else, except this time Bear doesn't know why. Their best friend Bunny tries everything to cheer them up: thinking of Bear's favorite food, telling a joke, meditating, exercising, picking up a new hobby, but nothing works. Finally, Bunny gives up and sits quietly with Bear, and that is what ends up helping Bear feel better. Using a mix of hand painting and digital techniques in calming colors like denim blue, lemon yellow, and lavender, the artwork gently conveys the same sweet and earnest tone as the lyrical prose. There are even adorable endpapers that wordlessly follow another friendship between bees as they journey through the sads together. This gentle read-aloud about a melancholy bear and their well-intentioned friend has powerful and age-appropriate messaging for classroom and library settings or lap-time cuddles, and its patient storytelling makes it perfect for a meaningful discussion with little ones and their big feelings.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
What do you do when you're feeling sad and nothing makes it better? Round, brown Bear has a heart that "feels heavy, like my pocket's full of sads." Bear compares it to a toy that breaks right away or to the feeling of watching their best friend sit with someone else. Bouncy, cheery Rabbit arrives to take their pal fishing and finds Bear downright glum. Refusing to believe Bear's sadness is serious, Rabbit proceeds to blurt out solutions--think of something happy, exercise, find a hobby, and more--to no avail. Frustrated, Rabbit finally plops down next to Bear, and together they just sit. But the longer they sit, the better Bear feels, comforted by the presence of their friend. Both Bear and Rabbit learn that sometimes doing nothing together is the best thing of all. Gentle text captures the contrasting personalities of energetic Rabbit and more low-key Bear, expertly paired with rich, eye-catching illustrations set in warm browns, blues, and greens. As Bear and Rabbit sit together, the dark background around them slowly recedes and then disappears, a visual metaphor for Bear's gradual transformation. Rabbit's frustration is expertly depicted as well, with dramatic angles and bold colors. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A lovely, age-appropriate introduction to the healing power of companionship and acceptance by a true friend. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
