Review - A Visitor for Bear

A Visitor for Bear (Bear and Mouse #1)
by Bonny Becker
illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
Date: 2008
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 56
Format: e-book
Source: Open Library

Cheery persistence wears down a curmudgeonly bear in a wry comedy of manners that ends in a most unlikely friendship.

Bear is quite sure he doesn't like visitors. He even has a sign. So when a mouse taps on his door one day, Bear tells him to leave. But when Bear goes to the cupboard to get a bowl, there is the mouse -- small and gray and bright-eyed. In this slapstick tale that begs to be read aloud, all Bear wants is to eat his breakfast in peace, but the mouse -- who keeps popping up in the most unexpected places -- just won't go away!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

So that's how they met! I've read two other books in this series, but never this first one, where Bear meets Mouse.

Mouse is certainly persistent. All Bear wants to do is have his breakfast in peace. He doesn't like people (er... animals) and prefers to do things on his own. So when a friendly mouse shows up at his door wanting to have a nice tea with him, Bear does everything he can to get rid of the bothersome guest. Eventually, though, he relents and grudgingly makes tea... only to find that maybe an attentive friend isn't the worst thing in the world.

I don't think this is my favourite book in the series, but it's still pretty strong. The illustrations are amusing, as usual. While I'm not always a fan of Bear and his attitude, I kind of love Mouse. He's the sort of friend everyone should have.

I'm glad I finally got to read this first book and see how the friendship began!

Quotable moment:

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.67 out of 5