December 1, 2019
Four woodland animal friends put on a show. Rabbit, Squirrel, and aptly named Other Squirrel (who has slightly redder fur than Squirrel) are a flurry of activity. They are going to put on a show. "A BIG show....The BEST show!" It will have hats (tall ones), tickets (shiny ones), and a curtain (red--no, green). There are many decisions to be made. Bear, however, does not want to be part of it. He is too shy. He would prefer to be the note taker. Rabbit, Squirrel, and Other Squirrel fire off ideas, amending one another's at furious speed, and Bear writes them all down. Scribbles appear in the white space surrounding the boulderlike ursine's head. The ideas pile up; debut illustrator Todd deftly covers an entire page while Bear hunches in the middle, furiously writing. He hums a tune to keep himself calm. On the night of the performance, everything seems ready. Everything except...the show! They were so bogged down with the details, no one figured out what the show would be. The title gives away the ending from the very start, but Bear's pluck is nevertheless laudable. Petty's comedic quips are echoed in the frenzied art, with Bear looming large yet timid to ground it all. Limited, skilled use of panels helps to control the pacing. A snort-inducing lesson of both bravery and preparation. (Picture book. 4-7)
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December 9, 2019
When Rabbit suggests they “put on a show,” two of his woodland pals—Squirrel and Other Squirrel—erupt with enthusiasm, but Bear, pencil in paw, announces that he’s too shy to perform on stage, and instead will be “the note taker.” The thespian hopefuls shout out items they need, ordering Bear to write down the humorously detailed list: hats with straps for the birds (“Without straps their hats will fall off and the show will be ruined”) and shiny tickets (“Write SHINY in big letters, Bear!... No one will come if the tickets are dull”). Bear diligently records and whimsically illustrates their requests as he “sang a sweet song, which made him smile,” but the rodents forget a major component while bossing Bear about. Making his picture book debut, Todd captures the feverish preparations and the props’ funny flourishes in animated digital art, while type of various sizes and colors amplifies the energy. Petty (I Don’t Want to Be a Frog) elevates Bear to hero status in the rewarding finale to her story, which applauds facing one’s fears, being a good friend, and keeping an eye on the big picture. Ages 4–8.
February 1, 2020
PreS-Gr 2-Three woodland creatures want to put on the perfect show. This means they need shiny tickets, sparkly curtains, and birds with tiny hats. Shy Bear is the scribe, taking notes on all the elements of production, happy to stay away from the spotlight. The night of the production, everything is ready to go, but the critters forgot a major detail: They never wrote a script. Bear, a performer at heart, might be able to save the day with an original song, as the show must go on. From the author of I Don't Want to Be a Frog comes this adorable, theatrical tale of overcoming stage fright. Two squirrels and a rabbit pop off the page, illustrated in bright colors and contrasted with the muted, timid bear, shown with a dainty pencil tucked behind his ear. These little details are what make the illustrations so charming. The exuberant squirrels and rabbit appear all over the page, with large speech bubbles and bolded words, while the bear sits quietly by himself on opposite pages, mirroring the plot of the story and demonstrating to readers that there are different kinds of people in the world and they can work together to make great things happen. VERDICT This playful and endearing story offers young readers a heartfelt message about collaboration and overcoming fear, making it an excellent choice for most collections.-Kaitlin Malixi, Kensington Health Sciences Academy, Philadelphia
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2020
Preschool-G Four woodland friends decide to put on a show?but not just any show. It must be big, and it must be the best! As Rabbit, Squirrel, and Other Squirrel plan their stage debut, shy Bear insists that he will remain behind the scenes, acting as the diligent notetaker. It's no small task: the other animals work themselves into a frenzy shouting out their demands. There must be shiny tickets! Sparkly curtains! Tiny hats for birds! Bear jots everything down in his increasingly jumbled notebook, with his scribbles splashed across the pages for readers to enjoy. It's not until the curtains go up that the quartet realize they forgot to write a show, and it is up to bashful Bear to save the day. Petty's playful text is witty and wonderful, and Todd's detailed digital artwork perfectly portrays the warm tones of the forest and the hilariously feverish brainstorming sessions. A cheerful story, conveying the joy of creation, the fun of friendship, and the beauty of stepping outside one's comfort zone.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)