Review - Kind Mr Bear

Kind Mr Bear
by Steve Smallman
Date: 2019
Publisher: QEB Publishing
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 24
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Kind Mr Bear is very kind. He does everything he can to help people. But the animals in the forest start to take him for granted, and when he gets sick, he finds himself all alone in his cave. Will anyone help him?

This touching story from award-winning author/illustrator Steve Smallman shows that when it comes to true friends, kindness is something to give as well as receive.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a very simple, very short story about a kindly old bear who looks after everyone else in the forest. But when he gets sick, he finds himself all alone. It isn't until the animals realize how much he's done for them that they realize how good of a friend he's been... and how they can be good friends in return.

Like I said, the story is very simple. Where this book shines is in the adorable illustrations. I really don't have any complaint there.

This being an ARC, though, there are a few problems. There's a typo on the back cover, at least one in the dialogue (which is also unnecessarily italicized), and the parents' guide at the back is for another book (which appears to be another of Smallman's titles, The Not-So-Brave Penguin). If these issues are dealt with, this could be a fairly strong picture book for young children about kindness and not taking our friends for granted.

Thank you to NetGalley and QEB Publishing for providing a digital ARC.

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.33 out of 5

Review - The Not-So-Brave Penguin

The Not-So-Brave Penguin
by Steve Smallman
Date: 2018
Publisher: QEB Publishing
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 24
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Posy the penguin is scared of many things - snowstorms, loud noises, the dark - but when her adventurous friend Percy is missing, Posy plucks up the courage to overcome her fears and goes on an excursion to find him. After an intrepid journey, Posy finds an injured Percy in a dark cave. She rescues him and brings him home, realising in the end just how brave she can really be. A heartwarming story about friendship, being brave, and overcoming fears when it really matters, this picture book is sure to delight and entertain.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a cute story about a penguin named Posy who is scared of all sorts of things. She's a worrier. But when her friend Percy goes missing on a nearby iceberg, she has to face her fears and try to help him herself.

I like the story and the illustrations are really cute, but the grammar and punctuation in the writing leave something to be desired. It marred what could've been an excellent picture book.

I'm also not fond of the stuff at the end that tells parents and teachers how to talk to the kids and do art projects related to the book. I found it kind of condescending (and that was the part aimed at adults, not kids)! The questions parents and teachers are supposed to ask are pretty obvious, as the answers are pretty much spelled out in the story. Some more interesting questions would be the ones that weren't addressed, such as how nobody believed that Percy was in trouble because Posy was the one worrying about it.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and illustrations, but I thought the material at the end was unnecessary and the writing was technically a bit weak. Still, it would be a nice picture book for kids, especially if they happen to be fond of penguins.

Thank you to NetGalley and QEB Publishing for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 2/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.17 out of 5