What about Bear? (review)

Bear and Goose (from A Splendid Friend, Indeed) are back in this thoughtful tale about playtime dynamics. At the story's outset, Bear and Goose are having an excellent time playing together. Then pushy Fox arrives, and he's got all kinds of different ideas for games, none of which include Bear; when Bear grumpily prepares to leave, Goose stands firm in defense of his old buddy and equitable playtime: "Bear is my big, old, sometimes grumpy friend. You can be our new friend. So do you want to play with us?" The text, all dialogue, is simple and declarative with often only a few words on the page, but those words are well chosen; the friendship dynamics speak even louder, and little listeners will identify with Bear's reaction to Fox's arrival and unfair exclusion and to cheer on Goose's defense of his big furry friend. Bloom continues the simplicity theme in her oil pastel illustrations; spreads are anchored by a constant background of deep blue sky and snow-covered ground, against which the animal figures, soft enough to be inviting and robust enough to achieve a little comic distance, cavort and squabble. While the problem-solving is more idealized than likely, it offers a useful model, and the story's accessibility and playground relevance make it ideal for sharing with the younger set.