School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A mother bear and her cub journey throughout the seasons in Weaver's picture book debut. The slightly anthropomorphized Big Bear and Little One delight in their woodland home, catching fish, eating berries, making friends, and simply enjoying the wind and the stars. Brief, gentle text and Big Bear's generous, comforting presence make for a soothing read. Black-and-white charcoal illustrations support this peaceful mood by showcasing the natural surroundings: scenes of the forest, lake, and cave are simultaneously glorious and cozy. Weaver effectively combines the velvet quality of charcoal and the rough patterns of the textured paper background to capture the beauty in dandelions, night skies, sunbeams, and sleeping bears. VERDICT A sweet parent-child story for bedtime that evokes safety, peace, and plenty.-Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Gorgeously drafted charcoal artwork and understated writing create a yearlong journey for two bears in this terrifically self-assured first book from British author-artist Weaver. As Big Bear and Little One emerge from their den, it's evident that this is the younger bear's first experience of spring. "There's so much to discover in your new world," the bear's mother explains. The pages that follow are full of moments of teaching and learning, from "how to be gentle with friends" (a family of hedgehogs stares up, not without some nervousness, at the much larger bears) to how to catch fish and swim. Weaver's charcoals make exceptional use of a full range of whites, grays, and blacks-in one night scene, the bears stand in silhouette against a darkening sky, tiny stars spattered overhead-and she's equally adept at conveying the bears' massive, furry bulk as she is at the delicate grasses and dry autumn leaves of their forest surroundings. A reassuring togetherness carries the bears, and readers, forward as the book comes full circle with the return of winter. Ages 3-7. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
