Review - Just a Minute

Just a Minute
by Bonny Becker
illustrated by Jack E. Davis
Date: 2003
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: Open Library

"I'll be just a minute!" Johnny MacGuffin's mother calls as she sails away past the purses and plates, up the up escalator in Bindle's department store.Johnny is stuck waiting again.

The minutes crawl and soon Johnny is sure days have flown by, and months have come and gone. He's waited so long that he's even grown up, bought a house on the hill, and had kids!

Bonny Becker reminds us all how hard and how funny waiting can be. Jack E. Davis's frenetic illustrations capture Johnny's overactive imagination perfectly and will have readers laughing out loud.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I picked this book up because I've enjoyed Bonny Becker's Bear and Mouse books. But this is just weak. It's all about a kid who's so impatient, he starts coming up with ever more outlandish ideas about how long his mom's been shopping. It gets to the point of ridiculousness, and though I well remember how interminable waiting could seem when I was a child, I don't like how this book portrays the passage of time. First, it implies that going through puberty makes one a "freak" (great message!) and then it goes on to basically describe the end of the world, with earthquakes and the sun burning out. I absolutely hated that sort of stuff when I was a kid, being a worrier and all.

The pictures are okay, and illustrate the ridiculous story well enough. I guess.

Stick with Bear and Mouse. This book is pretty forgettable.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.33 out of 5

Review - A Birthday for Bear

A Birthday for Bear (Bear and Mouse #2)
by Bonny Becker
illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
Date: 2009
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 56
Format: e-book
Source: Open Library

Can a relentlessly cheery Mouse wear down a party-pooping Bear? The unlikely pair are back in a droll, utterly charming tale that early readers will celebrate.

Bear does not like birthdays. He doesn’t like parties or balloons, cards or candles. In fact, Bear does not like anything to do with birthdays at all. He would much rather spend his birthday alone cleaning his house, but Mouse, small and gray and bright-eyed, has other ideas. The author and illustrator who created the best-selling picture book A VISITOR FOR BEAR return with another comedy about the curmudgeonly Bear and his eager friend Mouse, this time in an early-reader format.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I think this might be my favourite book about Bear and Mouse!

It's Bear's birthday, but he doesn't want to have anything to do with celebrating. Luckily for him, his friend Mouse has got it all covered. With an apologetic tone, Mouse gently perseveres in his quest to give Bear the perfect birthday party, knowing that the curmudgeon will enjoy it once he gets over his fear of change.

That's one of the things I love about these books. The message about embracing change is one I haven't seen very often in children's books, even though it's a common issue. Some people love their routines. They can love them so much that they might miss out on other enjoyable things! Mouse is an amazing friend to Bear, sometimes a bit annoying in his quest to show Bear new experiences, but never pushing too hard; at this point, he seems to know just what it takes for Bear to slowly come to the realization that a change of pace can be a good thing.

I kind of wish I'd read these books in order, but it's still fun seeing where certain elements of the later books originated. And I love the present Mouse got for Bear!

Quotable moment:

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5

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

Review - A Library Book for Bear

A Library Book for Bear (Bear and Mouse)
by Bonny Becker
illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
Date: 2014
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Curmudgeonly Bear succumbs to Mouse’s entreaties and discovers the joy of books in a hilarious story that fans will covet for their own library.

Bear does not want to go to the library. He is quite sure he already has all the books he will ever need. Yet the relentlessly cheery Mouse, small and gray and bright-eyed, thinks different. When Bear reluctantly agrees to go with his friend to the big library, neither rocket ships nor wooden canoes are enough for Bear’s picky tastes. How will Mouse ever find the perfect book for Bear? Children will giggle themselves silly as Bear’s arguments give way to his inevitable curiosity, leading up to a satisfying story hour and a humorously just-right library book.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Bear really doesn't like change. He likes his routine, and the seven books on his mantel, thank you very much. So when Mouse takes him to the library, Bear is sure he won't find anything he wants to read. It takes getting sucked in by storytime for Bear to see that the library just might have something to offer him after all.

Like A Bedtime for Bear, this book features charming illustrations with great facial expressions on the characters (especially Bear). The message about trying new things is good. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as A Bedtime for Bear, though they're pretty close. I'd like to read more of Bear and Mouse's adventures; unfortunately, our library isn't as well stocked as the one in this book.

Quotable moment:

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.67 out of 5

Review - A Bedtime for Bear

A Bedtime for Bear (Bear and Mouse)
by Bonny Becker
illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
Date: 2010
Publisher: Candlewick
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 48
Format: e-book
Source: library

Bear must have absolute quiet when he goes to bed. He likes to set out his glass of water, adjust his nightcap, fluff his favorite pillow, and then drift peacefully to sleep. But the effervescent Mouse, small and gray and bright-eyed, finds it terribly hard to be as quiet as a... well, you know. With masterfully paced slapstick humor, droll repartee, and comic visual details, the curmudgeonly Bear and his irrepressible friend Mouse return in a third wry adventure that will have readers of all ages laughing in recognition.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

A Bedtime for Bear is more about friendship than the synopsis would lead one to believe. You might think that this is a story about Mouse being annoying and preventing Bear from going to sleep, and it is... at first. But then, when Bear hears a noise, we see how good of a friend Mouse really is; he checks under the bed and behind the curtains and in the closet, and when Bear suggests that Mouse might benefit from a story to calm his nerves, Mouse readily agrees (even though the reader can clearly see that all of this reassurance is for Bear's benefit). It's a really sweet story.

The illustrations are pretty cute, with great expressions on the characters' faces. My only complaint is that the writing is a bit clunky in places. Other than that, though, this is a great bedtime picture book.

Quotable moment:

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.83 out of 5