Dog and Bear: Three to Get Ready
PreSchool-Grade 2—This pitch-perfect addition to the much-honored annals of impetuous Dog and careful Bear's friendship will find a ready and delighted audience. In "Uh-Oh," Dog's creative attempt to extricate a bucket stuck on Bear's head backfires when it pops off and descends smack on Dog's head—a visual joke young listeners and lookers will love. "Oops" describes Dog's high-flying bed-jumping stunts, to which a worried Bear responds by surreptitiously creating a soft landing pad on the floor next to the bed. Sure enough, Dog is grateful. Bear organizes Dog's scattered belongings with boxes marked "A," "B," "C" in "Alphabetical Order," but still manages to misplace Dog's beloved sock monkey. Dog's thoughtful interpretation of Bear's creative alphabetizing underscores their loyal friendship. As withTwo Friends, Three Stories(2007) andTwo's Company(2008, both Roaring Brook), these tales are joyfully distilled in minimal dialogue and Seeger's trademark use of bright, bold swathes of primary color and strong black line in contrast with a white background. This palette ties in visually with its predecessors, yet presents a fresh take in its use of blue as the predominant cover and endpaper color. Whether listeners or emerging readers, children who are already friends with Dog and Bear will delight in these latest adventures, and those who are new to their escapades have a treat in store.—Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VTEND