Jane Yolen Reviews

Added June 12, 2007

Baby Bear's Books

Author: Jane Yolen
Illustrator: Melissa Sweet
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: August 2006
Genre: Children: Storybook
Format: Hardback
Price: $16.00
ISBN-10: 0152052909
ISBN-13: 9780152052904
Reviewer: Sharyn McGinty
Rating: 9 Gargoyles

In this delightful follow-up to Baby Bear’s Chairs, Baby Bear’s Books praises books. From books that deal with “happy and after" to books that require snuggling, Baby Bear knows reading is fun all day long.

I’m quite picky about the books I allow my children to read, often reading them beforehand. Jane Yolen’s books I’ll hand over without a second thought, knowing my children will be entertained and learn something, whether it be the habits of snow owls (Owl Moon) or the joys of reading. Melissa Sweet’s engaging, entertaining illustrations enhance Yolen’s gentle tale.

Baby Bear’s Books “like honey, can never get stale."

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Added September 26, 2005

Baby Bear's Chairs

Author: Jane Yolen
Illustrator: Melissa Sweet
Publisher: Gulliver Books, an imprint of Harcourt and Brace
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: September 2005
Genre: Children: Storybook
Format: Hardback
Price: $16.00
ISBN: 0-15-205114-7
Reviewer: Sharyn McGinty
Rating: 8.7 Gargoyles

Baby Bear's Chairs is adorable. Told from the viewpoint of a baby bear, readers are given a glimpse of how he views the world by way of chairs. Papa and Mama are big bears and sit in great chairs and are never told when to take a nap and they get to stay up late. Big brother is a medium size bear and in his middling chair, plays ship and never cries when he falls off his ship/chair. Baby Bear sits in a tiny chair, with straps to keep him from falling out. But his favorite chair is...well, you'll have to read the book to find out what the best chair is for tiny bears.

Jane Yolen has been one of my favorite authors since before I had children. She brings her magic storytelling to Baby Bear's Chairs and creates a story the entire family can enjoy. The bright, cozy illustrations make this book a feast for the eyes and perfectly complement the gently rhyming text. My children love this book and take turns reading it to each other, sharing Baby Bear's Chairs just as my sisters and I shared other Jane Yolen books years before.

Baby Bear's Chairs is destined for this family's keeper shelf.

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This page was last updated on January 1, 2008

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