PICTURE BOOK REVIEWS: Dog and Rabbit by Barney Saltzberg & Beware! by Bob Raczka
ABOUT THE BOOK
Dog likes Rabbit. Rabbit likes Bunny. But Bunny ignores Rabbit. How will the friendship triangle resolve? Written in four parts, this picture book navigates the pitfalls of budding friendship and explores the rewards of patience under the sure hand of seasoned author/illustrator Barney Saltzberg.
REVIEW
Dog and Rabbit don't mind living alone, but they do get lonely sometimes. Each one wants to find a friend but doesn't know how to go about it. One day Rabbit sees a rabbit on Dog's refrigerator waits outside Dog's house for the rabbit to respond to his friendship overtures. But there is no response. The Dog meanwhile has noticed Rabbit and also waits to be noticed. Eventually, Rabbit sees Dog's door open and slips in only to discover his mistake. Finally, Dog's patience pays off and the two become friends. The book is cute enough, although I can't say that I loved it. It is a straightforward story about friendship and patience with large, easy to read text and simple illustrations. A nice book for talking about friendship.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A cautionary tale using words made up of only the five letters in the title (B, E, W, A, and R). Can a bear and a bee become friends?
Abe and Bree aren't supposed to get along. When they meet, they panic. Abe swats! Bree stings! Now they're both hurt. Together they figure out how to find friendship despite differences and preconceived notions. This rare-bear, wee-bee tale helps to create a web of understanding with unique language and a clever structure.
REVIEW
The clever use of only five letters makes this book a great teaching tool. Somehow the author managed to tell an entire story using only the letters B, E, W, A, and R. The story is a rather simple one, but it still manages to be profound in it's commentary on friendship. Abe, the bear, and Bree, the bee are warned by their respective families to avoid the other. Thus their first encounter is not a positive one. But after Bree realizes how she has hurt Abe, they realize they can be friends despite their families warnings. A sweet story of looking past warnings and stereotypes to open oneself up to friendship. The darling illustrations nicely compliment the minimal text creating a surprisingly effective story.
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