– This Story Has A Sweet Message –

• Author Laura Gehl
• Illustrator: Paco Sordo
  Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (September 1, 2018)
• Genre: Picture Book
• YouTube Trailer
• Pages: 32

So Let Me Explain:

If you’ve been following my blog you’ve seen several of Laura Gehl’s books reviewed. I began by posting some older picture books of hers that I loved: I Got A Chicken For My Birthday and My Pillow Keeps Moving. I did that as a way of building up to her newest book, Always Looking Up.

But those posts made me realize that I’d missed reading one of her picture books. So there ya go. I was attracted to the cover and of course the author so it hippity-hopped to the top of my to-be-read list. Which in this case is synonymous with to-be-reviewed.

Zogby, a very large bear, has always wanted to deliver cookies for Fluffy Tail Cookies. Imagine his excitement when he sees a notice that they are looking for a delivery animal.

But when he applies, the manager isn’t quite sure a bear is a perfect animal to deliver cookies. However, with a little prodding, she lets Zogby try it for one day.

As Zogby approaches each house and sings the little jingle the door is opened by animals who are frightened by his appearance. After all, aren’t bears huge and scary most of the time? The poor bear tries to make the situation better by wearing bunny ears, but it doesn’t seem to help.

Zogby is on his way back to tell the manager that things aren’t working out when an idea comes to him. He does a U-turn. By changing the jingle that he’s been singing he hopes that things will get better. It’s got to get better. This is the job he’s always wanted and he can’t give it up.

What Concerned Me:

I have to say this didn’t bother me, but with modern awareness, I can see some being concerned that Zogby is discriminated (a word that is beginning to wear on me) against because of . . . well, size, looks, etc. etc. I won’t say more since more could easily turn to much more on my part.

But my concern is that the ending was a tiny bit disappointing. I’d hoped for something a little more memorable and fun.

What I Liked Most:

I absolutely loved the illustrations and . . . I say

Hooray For Bear

Life isn’t always fair. Bear didn’t sit back and label himself a victim. He was a problem-solver.

This is another of Gehl’s books that I will add to my favorites.

About The Author

I have a B.A. in psychology from Yale and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Georgetown.  I’ve taught reading to little kids and biology to big kids.  But let’s get to the more interesting stuff.

Favorite food: Chocolate.  Not very original, I know, but most people who claim to have a different favorite food are either lying or missing several very important taste buds.

Favorite animals: Do my kids count?  Other than those four wild animals, I really love the baby bunny rabbits that hop into the bushes when I jog past them on the trail near my house.

Favorite children’s books: Waaaaay too many to list.  But “A Birthday for Frances,” “The Perfect Nest,” “The Big Orange Splot,” and “This is Not My Hat” are a few for the picture book crowd.  For older kids, anything by Gordon Korman, Susan Cooper, or L.M Montgomery.