Book Description
for You're a Bear by Mavis Jukes, Steve Johnson, and Lou Fancher
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
A young girl spends an evening pretending to be a bear in this story with rich, lyrical language. The wonderful illustrations feature two visual narratives: the child’s imaginative play, which she sustains as she interacts with her family, eats dinner, takes a bath, and gets ready for and goes to bed; and spot illustrations of a bear, whose behavior echoes the child’s play. The story puts young listeners in the moment with the fictional child, using present-tense verbs to create a sense of immediacy. Shifting rhythms, rhyme, alliteration, and marvelous word choice create a playful and enchanting narrative. This book will have special resonance for some: the young girl’s heritage is Asian, while her family is white. (Ages 3–6)
CCBC Choices 2004 . © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2004. Used with permission.