Be Gentle! (George and Ba)

Bartholomew loves to play with his new kitten, but when he becomes a little rough and she decides to hide rather than play with him, Bartholomew learns how to be gentle with the young animal.

PreSchool-K. With simplicity and style, Miller once again takes a matter of significance to both children and adults and gives it universal voice. George gives Bartholomew a little black kitten, telling him to "be gentle because she's only little." Being only little himself, the young bear plays with the animal as he sees fit; pushing her on a swing, bumping her along in a wagon, playing tricks on her with a garden hose, and banging a drum to cheer her up. George admonishes him repeatedly until the kitten finally runs away. After searching fruitlessly, a sad Bartholomew goes to hide in his special place where he finds his pet. He's now very gentle and the kitten purrs; a satisfying ending. As in her other books about these bears, Miller captures the mood of the characters with minimal lines. The clarity of the illustrations in both their emotional and visual content matches the text to a tee and makes this book highly suitable for group storytelling. Listeners will delight in this story and will surely ask to hear it again and again.?Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

George, the big bear, and Bartholomew (``Ba''), the very little bear, return for another growing-up lesson (Go to Bed!, 1993, etc.), this time about how to treat a pet. Cautioned to be gentle with his new kitten, Ba gives her a squashing hug, wild rides on his swing and in his wagon, and a squirt with the garden hose. An ear-splitting drum serenade is too much, and the kitten runs away. Ba is ``sad and sorry'' and creeps away to his secret hiding place under his bed, where he finds the kitten. Having learned his lesson, Ba is ready now to be very gentle indeed, and the kitten sits on his lap and purrs. It's an endearing story, just right for toddlers struggling to tame their exuberance and to recognize the needs of those who are even smaller than they are. The facial expressions and body language of the kitten are priceless, and clear enough to help children recognize the wordless ways in which animals communicate. Six vignettes across the title spread show ways for Ba to play happily with his kitten. This book should have a long and happy life in veterinary offices, pet shops, and animal shelters, as well as in the usual outlets. (Picture book. 2-5) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 2^-5. There's a new kitten in Bartholemew Bear's house, and Ba is eager to play with it. When big George cautions, "Be gentle," Ba can only think of all the fun he and his new playmate will have. He has no idea he is being too rough until the kitten, having been poked, prodded, and even squirted with a garden hose, runs off. When brokenhearted Ba retreats to his secret hiding place to cry, who should he find? None other than the kitten, who's perfectly willing to give a now enlightened baby bear another chance at being a friend. Like other books in Miller's wonderful series, this one is right on the money when it comes to the behavior of little ones, and the open, warmhearted pictures are a perfect match for the ingenuousness of the story. In fact, the pictures are so packed with pure emotion that they tell the tale as surely as the accompanying words. Stephanie Zvirin