The Entertainer

K-Gr 2—Everyone is excited when a bear-suited Entertainer arrives at Billy's birthday party. After helping himself to tea and biscuits, he proceeds to make a big mess by crashing through the house on a skateboard, glugging water and eating flowers, juggling fruit, popping balloons, and devouring the birthday feast before passing out on the table. While the children think he is "hilarious," Mom is definitely not amused. Only after this unique Entertainer has left do Billy's parents realize that they had a real bear in their home. The rhyming text is full of onomatopoeia that highlights the humor of the bear's antics, which are clearly illustrated with large, bold lines and figures. Though there are pop-out boxes with helpful reminders about the importance of cleaning up after oneself and chewing properly, the story is mostly about the ridiculous circumstance of a bear wreaking havoc to the delight of children at a birthday party. The silly situation and twist at the end will definitely elicit laughs.