A Visitor for Bear (Bear and Mouse)
Bear seems happy in this solitude and even has a sign posted on his house, “No visitors allowed.” A mouse who taps on Bear’s door is told to go away. But Mouse won’t, and keeps reappearing until Bear finally dissolves into tears and gives in. Soon Bear realizes it’s pleasant having someone else around, and when Mouse is ready to leave, Bear doesn’t want him to go; he even removes the sign, declaring that it was for really just for salesmen, “not for friends.” Watercolor, ink and gouache illustrations in a soft color palette show a comfortable, expansive house that seems to emphasize Bear’s need for a friend to fill it up. The characters are highly expressive, making the pictures fun, and the dramatic text will lend itself to reading aloud. Pair this with Laura Vaccaro Seeger’s Dog and Bear (2007). Preschool-Grade 2. --Randall Enos