FICTION

Big Bear and Little Bear Go ­Fishing

by Amy Hest (text) & illus. by Erin E. Stead
/Neal Porter/Holiday House. May 2024. 40p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780823449750.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2–From the author of Sometimes It’s Nice to Be Alone comes a mild but reassuring tale of a fishing trip with Big Bear and Little Bear. Deliberately repetitive text follows the bears as they get ready. Little Bear often repeats what Big Bear says, and his eager anticipation for the expedition is clear. While the trip doesn’t end with a fish, both bears snuggle together for a perfectly timed nap. Stead’s bear drawings (Bear Has a Story to Tell) feel snugly familiar, and this book reads as the opening round for more stories about Big Bear and Little Bear. The soft watercolor paintings have a Wind in the Willows nostalgia to them, and though nothing much seems to happen, it’s actually a very big day.
VERDICT This may be too subdued to stand out among other picture books, but there are small lessons to be learned about companionship, appreciating each moment shared, and making the best of an experience regardless of the outcome.
Reviewed by Heidi Dechief , Jul 01, 2024

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