Bear and Bee

December 24, 2012
Bear has never seen a bee, but he doesn’t like them and has no doubt they don’t play well with others. “Bees are terrible monsters!” Bear says. “They are big, and they have large teeth, and they have sharp claws, and they never share their honey!” Luckily, Bee, who is standing right in front of Bear as he unfurls this lurid fantasy, seizes this as a teachable moment, and points out that Bear actually has many of the qualities that he ascribes to bees. After some momentary confusion (“Poor me! I’m a Bee!” wails Bear, flinging himself to the ground in despair), the two become honey-sharing buddies. Ruzzier’s (Tweak Tweak) cartooned pen-and-ink drawings are a bit underwhelming; the relatively minimal backgrounds only emphasize the weak characterizations (the characters’ facial expressions are tepid, and putting Bee in high top sneakers is no substitute for giving him a personality). But Ruzzier has a solid sense of comic timing and proffers his lesson on the folly of prejudice with an admirably light touch. Ages 2–5. Agent: George Nicholson, Sterling Lord Literistic.

February 1, 2013
When a bear wakes up hungry from his winter nap, a beehive and its honey seem to be the perfect answer to his problem--but what about the bee? While Bear has never seen a bee, he knows they "are terrible monsters! They are big, and they have large teeth, and they have sharp claws, and they never share their honey!" He explains this to a nearby bee. (The "bees" Bear imagines are green alien-looking creatures sporting horns and curling proboscises.) But as Bee points out, one quality per spread, Bear shares all those characteristics with bees, at which point Bear dissolves into tears: He's a bee! Bee quickly corrects Bear's mistake and reveals what he is, lack of teeth and claws and all. And as for sharing honey...he is happy to. Short sentences with simple vocabulary and lots of repetition make this a good choice for beginning readers, who can use the illustrations' clues to puzzle out more challenging words. Front endpapers and the dedication and copyright pages make a pleasing visual beginning to this story. Best of all, Ruzzier's pacing is impeccable, adding to the suspense of Bear's discovery and the sweet start of the duo's friendship. The digitally colored pen-and-ink illustrations are simple and uncluttered, keeping the focus on the two expressive friends and making this a great choice for sharing with groups. The correction of misconceptions has never been so much fun. (Picture book. 2-5)

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May 1, 2013

PreS-K-Bear has never seen bees before but he describes them as terrible monsters. "They are big, and they have large teeth, and they have sharp claws, and they never share their honey!" Bear learns to appreciate the qualities of bees (and bears) when he unexpectedly meets one for the first time. The bee points out that Bear has described himself, leaving him in despair until Bee reveals his own identity. Their humorous conversation, which remedies Bear's prejudice, ends with a shared meal of honey between two new friends. Digitally colored pen-and-ink illustrations depict close-ups of the characters against a simple spring background of turquoise skies, yellow-green grass, and sprightly flowers. The minimal text is comprised of dialogue between the two characters. Expressive words appear in boldface type. The starry scene at the end of the book makes this story a good choice for bedtime as well.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2013
Preschool-G Bear wakes up hungry from hibernation, and the only food source in sight is a beehive. When the bee on top of the hive offers up his honey, Bear says, But what about the bee? See, Bear doesn't actually know what a bee isit's certainly not the creature he is talking toand his preconceived notions about bees include that they're terrible monsters! with large teeth and sharp claws. As Bee rightly points out, Bear has large teeth and sharp claws. This leads to the funniest moment in the book, when Bear has a horrific realization: I AM A BEE! Of course, all is sorted in the end, and honey is shared. This sweet, if slight, story cleverly begins on the endpapers, which depict snowfall, followed by a hibernating bear, and then a thaw on the title page. Ruzzier's unlikely friends, rendered in pen-and-ink and colored digitally, are charmers with stylish taste in footwear: Bee wears nothing but high-tops and Bear, red slides. The anti-snap-judgment message is wrapped in cuteness, making it just right for the preschool set.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2013
Bear wants some honey, but he is too afraid of bees to approach a hive that's hanging off a tree branch, just at eye level. He shares his fears with a stranger, who asks him if he's ever seen a bee. The fearsome creature Bear then imagines and describes to the stranger is nothing like a real bee, but very much like a bear. And even the youngest audience will know that the sympathetic stranger Bear is talking to is, in fact, a bee, and that there is nothing at all to fear in either one of them. Bear wears flip-flops and Bee wears high-top sneakers in the comical illustrations printed in monochromatic hues. Ruzzier clearly understands the psyches of young children, who are more likely to fear bees than bears and who will delight in being smarter -- and braver -- than Bear. A sure hit for the story-hour set. kathleen t. horning

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2013
Bear wants some honey, but he is afraid of bees. He shares his fears with a stranger, who asks him if he's ever seen a bee. Even the youngest audience will know from the comical illustrations that the sympathetic stranger Bear is talking to is, in fact, a bee, and that there is nothing to fear in either one of them.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)