Product Description

Bear wants to read and write and think. Goose wants to talk and talk and talk. Can Bear and Goose be friends? Suzanne Bloom's picture book says volumes about friendship with a few select words and charming illustrations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #290726 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .36" h x 8.78" w x 11.30" l, .90 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. PreSchool-K–A friendly, talkative goose endears himself to a contemplative polar bear. On each spread, Bear practices a quiet activity, such as reading, writing, and thinking. And each time, Goose interrupts by asking what he is doing and then taking over the activity. When Bear spends his time thinking, Goose declares, "Thinking makes me hungry." He makes a snack and reads a note that he's written to Bear that describes him as "my splendid friend." Bear is touched by the friendship note and responds by giving Goose a big bear hug. The large format makes the book ideal for group sharing and the oversized text is accessible to beginning readers. The cool palette of the pastel illustrations, consisting of shades of blue and white and touches of violet, sets a quiet, friendly tone, and the animals' priceless expressions tell all. The gentle humor will elicit giggles; Goose's silly statements and Bear's patient responses beg to be read aloud. An ideal book for storytimes about friendship and sharing.–Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
PreS-Gr. 2. Children will recognize their relationships with friends or siblings in this creative, pointed picture book. Polar Bear is reading when Goose comes rushing in, pulls the book from the bear's hand, and begins reading himself. The same thing happens after Polar Bear starts writing. Even more frustrating are Goose's persistent questions about what the bear is thinking. But after hearing a note Goose has written about his "splendid friend," Polar Bear realizes that Goose is a splendid friend, too. Bloom gets maximum effect with minimum words, in part because of Goose's energetic dialogue. Equally impressive is the artwork. Using pastels, Bloom presents a rubber-bodied goose and a furry bear (whose every hair is distinguishable), setting their antics against backgrounds of blue that shift from dark to light. Though simply shaped, the animals manage an amazing assortment of positions and expressions as the story plays out. Fun to read aloud, the book will also lead to discussion about friendly (and annoying) behavior. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Suzanne Bloom is the author and illustrator of a number of books for children. She is the illustrator of Girls: A to Z and My Special Day at Third Street School, both by Eve Bunting. She lives with her family in McDonough, NY.