School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 2-Lovable odd couples are a staple of children's books on friendship, and Bloom's Bear and Goose are among the most memorable. In this story, the more reflective Bear is about to have a quiet game of Tic-tac-toe when the ever-impulsive Goose enters, stage left. The joke centers on Goose's predilection for snap misjudgments. Once again peering over Bear's head, Goose thinks that Bear's paper with one "X" in the middle is a treasure map. He hijacks the action as he rides astride the tolerant Bear, enthusiastically urging digging and diving. When there is no loot to be found, Bear reminds an outraged duck that the "treasure" they discovered was their friendship and their "splendid day." As in A Splendid Friend, Indeed (Boyds Mills, 2005), Bloom's pastel paintings present uncluttered, double-page compositions, with each white animal highlighted against saturated blue backgrounds of various hues. Brief, uncomplicated text consists of a few lines in bold, black type. Bloom's proficiency in depicting characterization with kinesics is humorously on display again. While listeners and readers must pay close attention to the initial illustration to comprehend the joke, this is a small reservation in what is otherwise an endearing treat for storytimes.-Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Old Greenwich, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.