The Bear Must Go on

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. (Feb.)

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