Speak your heart

PreS-Gr 3-- Coco, the only human in the book, is best friends with Bear, a bear. The baby deer is named Baby Deer and the porcupine is, surprisingly, named Quilber. Coco is a terrible listener, which leads Bear to get frustrated, causing an argument between the two. Compassionate Quilber helps them resolve their conflict. The watercolor and digital illustrations are striking. All the animals look like they shop from a woodland L. L. Bean catalog. Endpapers are intricate folk-art inspired scenes, like an image from a Jan Brett story. Bear wears a red scarf and Coco red hat and boots, making the characters stand out from the rest. VERDICT A typical fight-and-make-up story is elevated by high-level art. A fine addition for larger collections.

A young girl and her ursine pal learn to listen. Brown-skinned, curly-haired Coco and Bear have been BFFs their whole life. Today, Bear proposes building a snow castle; Coco says she loves the idea of a snow fort. Bear corrects her ("Well, actually, I saidcastle"), but Coco doesn't listen and enlists their friends' assistance in constructing her fort. Bear offers suggestions, but Coco tunes him out. Frustrated at not being heard, Bear explodes ("Listen to me, Coco!"). Quilber the porcupine urges the friends to take a timeout, but Bear's too steamed to pay attention and storms off. Baby Deer has a heart-to-heart with Bear, letting him vent but telling him that he needs to practice his own listening skills--she points out that he refused to hear Quilber out. Meanwhile, Quilber tells Coco that her bossiness has alienated the others. Eventually, Bear and Coco apologize to each other--and to Quilber and Baby Deer--and everyone devises a useful communication strategy before resuming their snow play. Stott's thought-provoking story about friendship conveys a fine message about listening patiently and respectfully. The protagonists are well realized, with relatable flaws, and learn and grow from their mistakes. Stott's graceful illustrations, rendered in watercolor paint and digital ink, portray endearing characters who value each other. A sweet, well-told story with important lessons on navigating friendship tensions.(Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.