You can't DENy that this book would have been better if Sara Gillingham spent as much time on the text here as she does on her spectacular website.
THREE PROS
*Finger puppets add an element of fun to any story and can help you entertain your kid immeasurably longer once you choose to go off script
*It was nice to see all of the characters finish up inside the happy home, even if it defies logic to think that small woodland creatures would ever feel safe standing a few feet away from a family of bears, given ursine primal instincts
*Lorena Siminovich has a style that isn't exactly my favorite, but works well in this situation and could be eye-catching to someone who orders things from fancy catalogs in the vein of a high-end Urban Outfitters
*Lorena Siminovich has a style that isn't exactly my favorite, but works well in this situation and could be eye-catching to someone who orders things from fancy catalogs in the vein of a high-end Urban Outfitters
THREE CONS
*The wording has a 'whatever' quality to it, and the idea that leaves and pine cones are naturally found inside of a den under a tree (probably not intended, but the scarcity of words in combination with the verbiage used on the very next page forces this conclusion) is about as likely as me choosing to read this book again after today
*The back cover description makes it seem like all the work the little bear does to create his bed is not in any way responsible for the comfort it provides him
*The back cover description makes it seem like all the work the little bear does to create his bed is not in any way responsible for the comfort it provides him
*If you choose to do a reading without inserting one of your digits inside of the bear, he punishes you by making the turning of the pages slightly infuriating
ONE DAD'S OPINION
As my son grows older, I am starting to notice that my bar of excellence for board books has been raised. While I don't think this affects the vast majority of my previous and future ratings in this category, I will concede that earning a Buy will be tougher going forward. But is that so bad (since you only want the very best things for your kids anyway)? Getting back to the topic at hand, what we have here is an OK effort that has a lot in common with a bear cub. It's cute and all, but you still ought to be wary of spending too much time around it.
Buy / Borrow / DONATE / Destroy
ONE DAD'S OPINION
As my son grows older, I am starting to notice that my bar of excellence for board books has been raised. While I don't think this affects the vast majority of my previous and future ratings in this category, I will concede that earning a Buy will be tougher going forward. But is that so bad (since you only want the very best things for your kids anyway)? Getting back to the topic at hand, what we have here is an OK effort that has a lot in common with a bear cub. It's cute and all, but you still ought to be wary of spending too much time around it.
Buy / Borrow / DONATE / Destroy
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