Little Bear's Little Boat

April 21, 2003
Life on Huckleberry Lake is idyllic for Little Bear as he sits in his small wooden boat. He rows, he fishes, and "on sunny days he lay back in it, closed his eyes, and dreamed. And he was happy." Until, that is, he grows too large for the boat. "It is a little bear's destiny to grow and grow till he is a big bear. It is a little boat's destiny to stay the same size," his mother gently tells her sad cub. Re-teaming with Twinnies
collaborator Carpenter, who limits her palette for a pleasing retro look, Bunting evokes a familiar theme for preschoolers: the frustration of change. She also shows the rewards of problem-solving: the now Big Bear gives his boat to a smaller bear, making him promise to love it as he does (for it is "a little boat's destiny to keep sailing on a blue, blue lake," he explains). Unfortunately, the word "destiny" appears repeatedly throughout the story, and because the daunting concept is not explained in an age-appropriate way, it may confuse some young readers. However, a positive message about sharing does ring clear. The spirit of generosity that Big Bear feels as he brings happiness to another creature may be contagious to youngsters after reading this upbeat tale. The artist adds another fun twist: in a closing scene, the hero is hard at work building "Big Bear's Big Boat," indicating that passions begun in childhood can endure. Ages 3-6.

August 1, 2003
PreS-Gr 2-Little Bear thoroughly enjoys his cherished boat, until he outgrows it. While Mother Bear explains that it's a little bear's destiny to grow, he knows, "It's a little boat's destiny to keep sailing on a blue, blue lake," so he sets off to find another little cub to enjoy it. When he finds one, he hands over his treasured object and asks its new owner to pass it on when he becomes too big for it. Children will listen intently to this tale. The softly colored, uncluttered illustrations, created with pen and ink and digital media, have an old-fashioned charm. Written with the simple finesse characteristic of Bunting, this amiable, gently didactic tale will resonate with many children.-Be Astengo, Alachua County Library, Gainesville, FL

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2003
PreS. Little Bear loves rowing, fishing, and floating in his little rowboat. Then he begins to grow, and one day his new heft sinks the boat. His mother calms him: "It is a little bear's destiny to grow and grow till he is a BIG BEAR. It is a little boat's destiny to stay the same size." Bear is sad, and he worries that no one will love his boat now that he can no longer fit into it. All ends happily, though, when Bear decides to bequeath the boat to another Little Bear, repeating his mother's warning: little bears become big bears, and the boat must eventually be passed on. Surprisingly few stories touch on the nostalgia and fear a new stage of childhood can bring. With just a few sentences per page, this is a sensitive, affecting story about growing up and leaving favorite things behind, with charming ink-and-paint illustrations that echo the spare clarity of the words. Reassuring and well told.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2003
After a young bear outgrows his little rowboat, he searches for someone who can love it just as much as he did. Simply written and illustrated with muted blues, greens, and browns, the book is more cloying than tender, and the text's repeated stress on "destiny"--the bear's, the boat's--will likely drift over the head of its lap-sitting audience.

(Copyright 2003 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)