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Summary
Summary
The multitalented Ben Bailey Smith (aka rapper Doc Brown) debuts a rollicking read-aloud about a decidedly mischievous bear.
I am Bear.
And I am bare.
The suit I wear has purple hair.
Bear fills his day with food, funny jokes, tricks on his friends -- and an escape right off the page when they all chase him in pursuit! With jaunty rap-style rhyme, first-time children's author Ben Bailey Smith joins debut illustrator Sav Akyuz for a picture book starring a lovable, slightly naughty bear whose antics will have young children smiling in solidarity.
Author Notes
Ben Bailey Smith is a U.K.-based rapper (known as Doc Brown), an actor on the British edition of Law & Order and the British kids' show 4 O'Clock Club, and a stand-up comedian. Now he adds a new facet to his career: children's-book author. He lives in London.
Sav Akyuz is a first-time children's-book illustrator who has worked as a storyboard artist on TV programs and feature films. He lives in London.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Bright, digital illustrations with bold outlines are a good match for this rhythmic troublemaking bear and his strong personality. "I am Bear./And I am bare./The suit I wear has purple hair." After he zips up and strikes a pose, Bear show off a little more for his readers by strutting about and antagonizing all the minor characters-especially that squirrel who mocked his nakedness. He eats the bees' honey, tells a knock-knock joke at the squirrel's expense, performs some questionable magic tricks, and shows readers his favorite game, "cops and robbers," where he eats all of a police officer's doughnuts. (The squirrel gets the blame.) After Bear torments the squirrel some more and paints a target on the behind of a sleeping female bear, the book pulls in for a close-up of Bear alone. The next spread shows a fierce chase scene of enraged minor characters after Bear until he makes a proud getaway on the final page. Though audiences may have mixed reactions to Bear, the beat of the text is catchy and readers and listeners will enjoy looking for the minor characters who show up throughout, including the mysterious blue rabbit who manages to pop up repeatedly but unnoticed. The back of the book confirms what readers will guess: Bear has not reformed. VERDICT An interesting mix of adorable and aggravating, Bear and his high energy will liven things up when read aloud.-Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
British actor, rapper, and comic Smith's foray into children's books introduces a large purple bear with a knack for mischief. Bear isn't naturally purple, as readers learn in the opening sequence. "I am Bear./ and I am bare./ The suit I wear/ has purple hair," writes Smith as newcomer Akyüz shows the bear zipping himself into a furry purple bodysuit (Akyüz gets lots of comedic mileage out of the bear's ample rear end, which the bear shows off several times, in and out of his suit). Smith's clipped rhymes have a polish and punch that helps each joke and gag hit its mark, as when Bear tells a knock-knock joke to a squirrel ("Knock! Knock!/ Who's there?/ Munch, munch./ My lunch") that ends with the squirrel in his mouth. (Lest readers worry, the squirrel reappears a few pages later, just in time to get framed as a doughnut thief by Bear.) It's a zippy, over-in-a-minute escapade, but Akyüz's vibrant, painterly images and the sheer force of Bear's personality make a distinct mark. Ages 2-5. Author's agent: Robert Kirby, United Agents. Illustrator's agent: Jodie Hodges, United Agents. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.