School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-In this charmingly illustrated picture book, a mother bear and her cub are speculating about what Zachary will do when he grows up. He says he's going to live with his Mom, and she wisely says that's okay, but gives him lots of opportunity to see that he might want his own home. She suggests that Zachary may be a soccer star or a farmer or a cowboy but at the end of each reflection he stands firm, insisting that whatever he does, he will come back and live with her. Finally, she suggests he might grow up and be a daddy, with a cub of his own. At this point, Zachary considers the possibility and says, "we'll all live next door to you!" The pictures are soft and warm, perfectly matching the gentle story. Each two-page spread is full of details, showing a cozy home and the pastoral English countryside and a variety of animals dotting the landscape. A lovely one-on-one story for parents and children to share.-JoAnn Jonas, Chula Vista Public Library, San Diego, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Jones's beguiling bears, composed of seemingly hundreds of tiny brush strokes, outshine the text in this otherwise lackluster British import about a child contemplating his future. When Zachary's mother prods him to think about what he might be when he grows up a cowboy, farmer, pilot the fellow always ends his musings with the refrain, "and then I'll come back and live with you." But when his mother suggests that some day Zachary might "be a daddy and have a little cub just like you," Zachary decides that he and his family will live next door. Goodings does not make clear why the cub's consideration of being a father allows him to imagine himself as an independent adult and, unfortunately, most of the occupations his mother suggests are macho. The unconvincing dialogue underscores these stereotypes: when his mother suggests that he could be a famous soccer star, Zachary responds, "Oh, yes!... I will score all the goals and be a hero!"; "Oooh!" says his mother, contemplating her son wearing a sheriff's "shiny star and a big hat." Jones's warm and fuzzy bruins, on the other hand, exude a universal warmth and comfort. However, the artwork also reflects a time when unhurried mothers wore granny aprons and shawls. To modern families, the book's nostalgic village life may seem quaintly antiquated. Ages 2-6. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
