Synopsis
Bear is in for a big surprise when he meets Roly-Poly, the new baby sister that Nora picks up at Grandma's house.
Reviews
PreSchool-Grade 1?While Nora goes to Grandma's to get a new baby sister for her stuffed animal friend, he practices being a big brother. However, instead of a doll-sized baby, the little girl returns with a very large, heavy panda. "She's not a baby...And she's not brown like me," Bear exclaims. "Babies come in all colors and sizes," says Nora. Little by little, Bear finds ways that he can help with the squalling Roly-Poly, and soon the siblings are inseparable. Charming illustrations and believable characters make this third "Bear and Nora" story right on target for youngsters harboring the notion that having an infant in the house will be pure joy.?Virginia Opocensky, formerly at Lincoln City Libraries, NE
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Bear, the diminutive stuffed-animal hero who adjusted to having a baby-sitter in Bear and Mrs. Duck, welcomes a cuddly cub sibling into the family in the latest Winthrop/Brewster collaboration. When Nora, Bear's owner, goes off to Grandma's house to get a baby sister for Bear, he imagines he'll be a helpful big brother. But he never expected that "baby" Roly-Poly would be larger than himself, or that she would not look at all like him (she is a panda), or that she would cry so much. But Bear's cheerful resolve and special singing voice eventually help to calm things down. Winthrop is again dead-on in addressing toddlers' trepidations about facing unsettling situations. A light and sweet tone works well in a text that continually imparts messages of love, warmth and acceptance without becoming gooey. Brewster's pastel shades and Martha-Stewart-meets-Laura-Ashley decor set the stage for a cozy curl-up tale. In several scenes Roly-Poly's sizable girth is nearly palpable. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Ages 5^-8. The author-illustrator team responsible for Bear and Mrs. Duck and Bear's Christmas Surprise (1991) add a new wrinkle to the relationship between delicate Nora, her small, beloved brown bear, and their favorite baby-sitter, Mrs. Duck. Bear is told he is to have a baby sister, but when Nora shows up with Roly-Poly panda, who is nearly as large as Mrs. Duck, Bear is taken aback, especially since none of his well-practiced child-care techniques work. By making Roly-Poly a giant, Brewster gives countenance to the feelings of awe and insignificance children often experience when a new sibling arrives. Here, of course, all ends well: Bear's efforts to win his sister over eventually prevail. As usual, there's bedrock beneath the sweetness, and the artwork speaks of love and home. Nora is delicate, china-doll beautiful; Mrs. Duck in her various hats is an arresting sight; and Bear and his "big" little sis are a winning team of opposites. Stephanie Zvirin
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