School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Best friends Sam and Harry are enjoying their day out, playing kings and making crafts. While Harry, the larger of the two bears, has enthusiastic ideas, his skills don't quite measure up to those of his friend Sam. So when the other forest creatures constantly sing Sam's praises, Harry is perturbed. With the skills he was once proud of now souring, he leaves, and Sam can only watch, perplexed. Once off by himself, Harry realizes that the experiences were only fun because he shared them with Sam. After reuniting, the story ends with the two rushing off to play again. Anderson presents a narrative that children will relate to. The lighthearted life lessons are fairly well-integrated into the dialogue-heavy text, and are always presented optimistically. Rounded, big-nosed characters and the happy forest shades from the digital illustrations are cheerful. VERDICT A good selection for classroom and library storytimes, as it naturally presents a lesson about talent and jealousy that children just entering school are likely encountering.-Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ont. © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Jealousy nearly comes between two best buds in this solo offering by Anderson (Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure). When bears Sam and Harry pretend to be kings, it quickly becomes clear who is more kingly. Harry declares he will make a "fancy" crown, but his paper headpiece is nothing compared to Sam's jewel-encrusted creation, and Harry's dirt castle is laughably shabby compared to Sam's expert fortress. Although Sam encourages Harry ("It's perfect," Sam says of the lopsided castle), the other forest animals remark only on Sam's superior skills. "Sam is good at EVERYTHING!" one declares as the two bears pretend to be kings of the pond. Naturally, it all becomes too much for an increasingly insecure Harry, and water practically leaps off the page when he splashes everyone before stalking off with a growl. But the rift soon mends, with Sam readily accepting Harry's apology and declaring him the "KING of splashes." Anderson's busy ink-and-Photoshop cartoon illustrations-full of speech bubbles and crowded forest scenes-build in tension toward Harry's outburst and its aftermath while offering a portrait of the friends' gleeful, if pat, reconciliation. Ages 4-8. Agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
