Merry Helps Pip Embrace the Water in Don't Be Afraid, Little Pip

Several years ago, I discovered the series of Bear books by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman. These charming stories for the 3- to 7-year-old set merge gentle rhyme and repetition with warm, endearing paintings, and I’ve found each installment just as enjoyable as the last. While I’ve read several of Wilson’s other books, she usually works with a different illustrator outside of the Bear series, so I was excited to find Don’t Be Afraid, Little Pip, a story about a penguin, and discover that Pip, too, is the star of her own book series written by Wilson and illustrated by Chapman.

Unlike Bear Snores On and subsequent books in that series, Wilson uses prose for Don’t Be Afraid, Little Pip. She does include a brief bit of verse as the penguins sing of the joys of swimming and other birds sing of the joys of flying, but for the most part, each page includes two or three short paragraphs, much of it dialogue.

In the middle section of the book, Pip wanders off on her own and encounters a petrel and an albatross, and each of them, despite expressing doubts as to whether this will work, issues instructions about how to fly, since she finds that more appealing than swimming. Wilson gives us a good sense of how these birds take flight, while Chapman paints them in intricate detail. It’s easy to see the differences among these three birds.

I love that this is such a different setting from the woodlands Wilson and Chapman usually tread together. One can almost feel the ocean breeze and smell the salty spray while perusing Chapman’s paintings with their varying shades of cool blue, and Pip and her fellow young penguins are adorably awkward as they waddle across the beach.

As an avid Lord of the Rings fan, one thing I love about this book is the fact that Pip’s first friend, the one who eventually helps her through a perilous situation, is named Merry. Coincidence? Perhaps, but even though these penguins are female, it’s easy to draw a parallel between the pairs, especially since Pip seems to be just a bit younger than everyone else. She needs a firm friend to help her face her fears, and one gets the sense that many adventures await these two. Like Bear Feels Scared, this book celebrates the power of friendship to bring one strength in the midst of a frightening situation.

Penguins have become pretty popular subjects for picture books lately, in part due to the success of March of the Penguins and Happy Feet. Children who have embraced Bear and his friends are likely to find just as much to love in this, one of the cutest penguin books I have encountered.

I'm Not as Enamored With Wilson as Usual in Bear Hugs

I got my hands on Bear Hugs: Romantically Ridiculous Animal Rhymes, a collection of humorous poetry by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Suzanne Watts, about a month and a half too late. From the pink cover to the sappy sentiments stored inside, this book seems designed especially for Valentine's Day. Included in the book are 20 short poems, some written in the first person and some from a more detached viewpoint. Most are corny enough to be featured on Valentines distributed to classmates via those prettily decorated shoeboxes that always sit atop desks on that holiday.

Since first reading Wilson's Bear Snores On, I have been hooked on her books, which generally feature adorable illustrations and narration that cleverly uses rhyme, repetition and wordplay to create an irresistible story. Bear Hugs is not a story. Moreover, while children will probably find at least some of the rhymes silly, the pun-tastic jokes seem designed to attract adults as well. Most poems have a punch line playing off of the specific animal involved. For instance, a rooster wants to ask a pretty young hen out but is too chicken, while a frog overdramatically states, "If you love me, / I'll croak with delight. / If you don't - / I'll simply croak."

Watts' illustrations fit the verse, looking just like the sort of pictures that would come in a box of 20 Valentines with cute sayings on them. Mostly, they feel a bit generic, not as distinctive or attractive as the work of other illustrators Wilson has worked with. This may have been a deliberate stylistic choice, as a sort of parody of traditional children's Valentines, but I was rather disappointed to find that I was unable to fall in love with the pictures in a book revolving around romance.

Additionally, Wilson's usually impeccable rhythm is off here. Many lines seem to ramble, with too many syllables strung together, while others seem too sparse. The poems are probably best read aloud, but much of the humor depends on the visual, as in the poem about the "love-a-bull" dog and the one asking "Will ewe please be mine?" I guess that makes it just right for children who prefer reading aloud to themselves; I'm not sure it would be such a great choice for reading to a child, or especially to several children at once.

Bear Hugs is still a pretty cute collection, especially for lovers of animals and puns. It just doesn't quite live up to my expectations, formed after reading several Wilson books that truly can be termed outstanding.

Summer Fun's Around the Bend When Bear Makes a Brand-New Friend

I first came upon Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman's Bear books a couple years ago when I saw a selection of them being sold for five dollars a piece as part of a pre-Christmas Kohl's Cares for Kids promotion. I've enjoyed the wintry Bear Snores On and Bear Stays Up for Christmas and the springish Bear Wants More, and my most recent trip to the library yielded last year's Bear's New Friend, which brings the beloved Bear and his ensemble of woodland companions together again for a sun-soaked summery story with just a hint of mystery.

The tale begins, as usual, in Bear's den. On this occasion, Bear is wide awake, and with the verdant flower-flecked grass just inches away, it's little wonder he feels the urge to emerge from his home for some outdoor activity. He's got plenty of friends in the forest, so he's sure he won't be short on playmates, but his curiosity is aroused when he hears a noise nearby. "And the bear asks, 'Who?'" This is the refrain that is repeated throughout the book, each time Bear sees or hears evidence of an unfamiliar, reclusive creature. The mystery deepens as his friends join him one by one, and it persists until nearly the end of the book, when the stranger reveals himself.

Chapman's acrylic illustrations are as adorable as ever. Shaggy Bear, dainty Mouse, wise Badger, timid Mole... the furry friends are all smiles, except when they're puzzling over the strange circumstances. The book is very heavy on the green tones, with grass and leaves everywhere in a variety of shades. We also see a lot of blue: the cloudless sky, several butterflies, the swimming hole. The liberal use of these colors gives the book a rich, vibrant feel.

Wilson's rhymes, meanwhile, usually four lines to a page, are marked by simple words and irresistible cadence: "Bear calls, 'Is that Mouse / who hides in the tree?' / But Mouse scurries up / and squeaks, 'It's not me!'" As the interrogative refrain repeats throughout the book, the typeface on this sentence becomes larger and larger, reflecting Bear's growing curiosity and his frustration that his friendly overtures are evidently being rejected.

Bear's New Friend is a fine addition to the collection of Wilson / Chapman collaborations. Artful and endearing, it allows children to visit once more with these woodland friends while encouraging them not to overlook potential playmates just because they might be a little shy.

This Frog's Extra Pounds Make Him Grow Very Round

One of my favorite songs, especially for sing-along situations such as marshmallow roasts and long car trips, is a sprightly tune entitled The Rattlin' Bog that was introduced to me by the Irish Rovers. I love to listen to the battered old tape on which Will Millar, my favorite impish, rambling Rover, preserved in his early twenties, breathlessly recites the final progression of items in this lively reel: "Hair on the bug and the bug on the leaf and the leaf on the twig and the twig on the branch and the branch on the limb and the limb on the tree and the tree in the bog and the bog down in the valley-o!" I immediately thought of this song when I picked up Karma Wilson's A Frog in the Bog. As it happened, the book had more in even common with the song than I expected...

A Frog in the Bog is also a progressive story. The frog who sits on the log in the bog eats something. Then he eats two bigger somethings. Then three somethings that are bigger still, and Wilson reminds us of the contents of his stomach each time by running through the list, starting with the most recent addition. Like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, this is a ravenous creature, and he just keeps getting bigger. But is he big enough to deal with an animal enormous enough to eat him?

Wilson's books generally contain a recurring refrain, and this one does too: "The frog grows a little bit bigger." But that's not the only repetition. The story builds up to its climax with the count of the critters, so the first half of the book is very repetitious indeed. But that adds to the fun here, and we wonder just how long the frog can go on eating larger and larger prey. Surely he must have a limit; he can't keep expanding forever!

Joan Rankin's watercolors remind me of the artwork in Non Sequitur. There's definitely something off-beat about her style, and most of her creatures look slightly demented. But because this story is even less involved than most of the ones Wilson has penned, it's up to Rankin to spice up the tale with her insects and arthropods, who are none too happy about being sucked into the frog's mouth. His eating them doesn't seem very plausible. In my favorite illustration, he slurps up four gaily dressed slugs who look like some sort of miniature royalty. Each of them is about his size, but like Kirby he just keeps getting bigger to accommodate this "food". You'd think the slugs would have plenty of opportunity to escape his advances, but they're so slow I guess they can't get away, but they hardly satisfy his hunger, because as with his other snacks, the frog doesn't digest them. They just sit around moping in his increasingly cramped stomach.

I thought A Frog in the Bog might be getting a little gruesome for my tastes, but while it's almost entirely about creatures eating other creatures, it doesn't turn out to be macabre at all. A little icky, maybe, but more likely to provoke giggles than gasps in little ones. The Rovers' bog will always be my favorite. But Wilson's bog is pretty spiffy too.

These Cows Are Driving Everyone Crazy!

When I watched the first season of Smallville, I was able to suspend my disbelief for X-ray eyes, super speed, indestructibility and all of Clark Kent's other unusual attributes. However, there was one complaint I just couldn't help but voice: "Why is this 14-year-old driving?" It all comes, I suppose, of living on a farm on the outskirts of a tiny town where driving the tractor is second nature by the age of ten. Still, as much as that corn-fed plaid wearer may have gone for a pre-teen pleasure cruise or two unhindered, I somehow doubt Pa Kent would have extended the relaxed rules to the bovines who helped provide his livelihood.

Of course, neither does the farmer in Sakes Alive! A Cattle Drive, but those darn cows just up and help themselves to his pick-up anyway after swiping his keys. Presumably this whole book was inspired by the term "cattle drive," which certainly takes on a different meaning here as Molly and Mabel, the mischievous mooers on the run a la Thelma and Louise, tear across the countryside, provoking panic and the repeated refrain of "Sakes alive!"

Having previously read Karma Wilson's Bear Snores On, Bear Stays Up For Christmas and Bear Wants More, I expected a series of breezy, aesthetically pleasing verses, and I was not disappointed. For instance: "They bounced along the bumpy road / at quite a frightful speed. / 'What's that sign say?' Mabel asked. / But cows, of course, can't read." Later, Wilson reminds us that they can't write either. But somehow or another, they can drive - and, just as impressive, fit into the seats in the truck, which I can't imagine would be too accommodating to even the daintiest of dairy cows.

The magnificently silly book owes much to illustrator Karla Firehammer as well. The pictures, which are done in acrylics, have a soft, pastel look to them; I especially like the purple trees and the turquoise truck, which looks like a perfect hippie-mobile when it winds up decorated by a shower of flowers. There is great attention to detail in the illustrations, which are populated with a cast of characters that grows considerably large by the end. The adorable citizens of this town all look a bit like Fisher Price Little People: the overall-clad farmer with a straw hat, the mustache-wearing sheriff in his smart blue uniform, the hopping mad little mayor who could almost pass for the Monopoly Man, the bespectacled dog walker in the green jacket... Even when some of these folks are roused into a nasty temper by the cows' antics, they are entertaining rather than intimidating.

Fanciful and clever, Sakes Alive! A Cattle Drive is such a giggle-fest that I might not recommend it for bedtime reading because it is likely to wind kids up rather than down. But any other time of day, this hilarious book about a pair of cows on the lam will drive youngsters wild with delight.

Something Tells Me It's Not All Happening At the Zoo

It seems as if the teachers here in Erie, Pennsylvania and its surrounding townships are always going on strike. It's an unfortunate situation because even if everything is resolved to the teachers' satisfaction, a whole lot of students are stuck in school days or even weeks after they should be out enjoying the summer sun. It's the kids who suffer, and that is also the case in Karma Wilson's Animal Strike at the Zoo. It's True!.

The animals have had it with their meager compensation and insufficient living conditions. They're determined to do something about it - or rather, do nothing. That's right, from this day forward, until their demands are met, every last creature within the zoo's confines will refrain from engaging in any activity that might entertain onlookers.

No swimming by the platypuses and otters. No prowling and growling by the leopards and tigers. No shenanigans by the monkeys or trick displays by the elephants. The zebras and giraffes are even going so far as to cover up their distinctive markings. Anything to discourage visitors and goad the zookeeper into providing a more luxurious life for the zoo's residents.

Wilson's verse sparkles with wit as always with 4 to 6 lines on each page, drawing us deeper into the predicament. "Business these days is as slow as can be. / Folks go to the circus instead. / Nobody wants to pay money to see / The animals lying in bed!" Of course, I have done just that at the Erie Zoo. Well, I've visited with my ZooCard, anyway, so while I didn't pay to get in on that particular day, we always pay for a year-long membership knowing that many of the animals will be drowsing, so the reaction of the little girl with the big glasses whose misery stirs the animals into action seems excessive. Okay, so they're not doing anything, but she's still seeing the animals, so that's something, isn't it? I think so.

One thought that occurs to me is that animals in zoos often live in substandard conditions. This is not nearly as true now as in years past, but just a couple years ago I went to a "wildlife preserve" at which few of the animals had grass or even water in their enclosures. With that in mind, an animal strike doesn't seem like such an unreasonable thing. Of course, when they start demanding the likes of root beer floats, we're firmly grounded in silliness.

Complementing Wilson's radiant rhymes are the paintings by Margaret Spengler, which amusingly show a wide variety of animals wallowing around in overdramatic self-pity. We get snoring monkeys, otters glaring belligerently out from behind scuba-diving gear, zebras stubbornly painting themselves bland yellow and brown. The style, with its heavy paint strokes, is quite different from the work of Jane Chapman, a frequent Wilson collaborator. It's more stylized and cartoonish, and I wasn't sure at first if I liked it, but the pictures as so entertaining I can't help but admire them.

Animal Strike at the Zoo. It's True! is a funny book sure to appeal to young animals lovers. And maybe, seeing the uplifting effect they can have on their furry neighbors, will be inspired to treat them with extra special care so that none of them will want to go on strike.

I Can't Help But Adore Bear Wants More

I recently finished reading Pooh's Workout Book, a humorous tome in which a Visitor to the Hundred Acre Wood attempts to persuade its residents to take up an exercise regimen. Oh, Pooh makes a valiant effort to come up with a legitimate workout. But somehow, when it comes down to it, all his exercises seem to revolve around eating...

In Bear Wants More, eating is the first thing on Bear's mind. This burly beast has just woken up from a long winter's nap. With the combination of his bulk and the amount of time that must have passed since his last meal, it's no wonder Bear is ravenous. Right away, he eats his front yard - that is, all the grass growing in front of his cave. But that's not nearly enough to satisfy such a hungry hibernator. No, indeed... The bear wants more!

This refrain is repeated throughout the book as Bear's friends happen by and tempt him with promises of food in other parts of the forest. Strawberries! Clover! Fish! Bear gobbles up the goodies gratefully, enjoying the company of jubilant Mouse, gregarious Hare and sage Badger. But even after all this feasting, poor Bear's tummy is still all a-grumble. Isn't there anything that will quench his appetite?

Karma Wilson's sweet and funny story ripples along on the rhythm of her engaging verse. For instance: "Bear sniffs and he snuffles / as a sweet breeze blows. / He romps to his home. / He follows his nose." Generally, there are four lines to a page, and the writing is fairly large, growing bigger or smaller periodically for emphasis.

Complementing Wilson's text are Jane Chapman's endearing pictures, which show us the bright, verdant woods, the blue, splashy pond and the dim, homey cave. The characters are adorable: multi-colored Badger with his fishing pole; off-white, bouncy Hare; tiny tan Mouse, whose whiskers are as long as his tail; drowsy, daisy-laden Mole; handy Gopher; flying buddies Raven and Wren...

But the cuddliest of all is enormous Bear, whose plaintive pleas will earn the empathy of many a child who has desired a snack at an odd time. He often looks perplexed, wondering why his belly just won't fill up. Other times, he grins toothily, drinking in the beauty of the day. In the very beginning, he yawns widely, a gesture that could almost look intimidating if we weren't already so sure of Bear's gentle nature.

I'm used to seeing Bear and his friends in winter, having read Bear Snores On and Bear Stays Up For Christmas. It's nice to see him in his element here, not struggling to stay awake, free to wander the woods with no weather worries. Bear Wants More is a charming story for anyone who has ever wanted to say, "Please, sir, I want some more!"

Kids Are Adoring This Bear Who Is Snoring

It's January, and the weather outside is the sort that makes me seriously consider hibernation as a winter occupation. Oh, it's beautiful outdoors... but sooo cold. And the temptation is great to pile on the fleece blankets in substitution for a heavy coat of shaggy fur. This contemplation is silly, of course; I can't afford to sleep through the winter. And though it's in his nature to let those snowy days pass by as he naps, Bear, the charming star of three Karma Wilson books, has reason to stay awake for at least one winter occasion as well. If only it weren't so hard to do...

In Bear Snores On, the first of Karma Wilson's inspired collaborations with illustrator Jane Chapman, we come upon Bear in his cave, slumbering away. He certainly doesn't look too intimidating all snuggled up like that, but this is a very large creature, so we wonder a bit at the boldness of all the small animals that gather in his lair for a little get-together. First tiny, delicate Mouse, then gregarious Hare and generous Badger show up to get the party started, and soon they are joined by Gopher, Mole, Raven and Wren. Soon they're all huddled together by a crackling fire. But have they forgotten whose home they have crashed? What will happen if Bear wakes up?

I can't decide which part of this book entrances me more, the writing or the illustrations. Chapman's acrylics are warm and inviting - except for the snow, which is frigidly blustery - and her furry friends expressive and cuddly. The central position of the teapot atop the bubbling fire and the fact that three species prominently featured in Brian Jacques' Redwall series are included makes me think of England, which is appropriate since Chapman is English, though Wilson is American. Her lilting rhymes, along with the repeated phrase of "the bear snores on," draw the reader in as cozily as the fire the furry fellows build. The story is simple, but it weaves an undeniable enchantment that is especially impressive considering that this is Wilson's first book.

Because we do not actually meet Bear in an awake form until the end of the book, there is a degree of suspense here. We don't know for sure if the animals know Bear and feel comfortable sharing his home or if they just assume that he won't wake up so they don't need to worry about it. Our initial encounter with the suddenly wakened Bear is intimidating. But given the tone of the rest of the book, I doubt this page will cause too much of a fright for youngsters, especially since it follows a gigantic-sized sneeze likely to provide enough giggles to last for a couple of pages.

This is the perfect book to snuggle up with on a frosty day like today. You can't help but fall in love with Wilson's lyrical storytelling style and Chapman's enchanting illustrations. And happily, there are several more books where this came from; I couldn't bear it if Wilson and Chapman stopped here!