What's the Big Idea?

October 1, 2010
PreS-Gr 1—-ittle Bear has too many items on his Christmas list and does not want to cull it down. When all the gifts under the tree go to his cousins, he suffers the indignity of watching the coveted skateboard, hobbyhorse, and pogo stick belong to someone else. Unsatisfied with the envelope he has gotten, Little Bear leaves it unopened and retreats under the kitchen table, coming out when his cousins need help figuring out how to play with their toys. The shared experiences are so much fun that Little Bear forgets about his own present, making his reward at the end all the sweeter. While the characters are not very expressive, the subtle touches make Little Bear's spoiled behavior easier to swallow. The illustrations also help the lesson gently unfold through the story, rather than overtly explaining the virtues of patience and sharing, or that the holiday is about more than just presents.—"Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2011
For the science fair, second-graders Ivy and Bean come up with ideas to fight global warming. Their experiments lead the girls to ask some good questions: e.g., How can grownups be taught to like nature as much as kids do? Their answer, like many scientific ideas, is simple but brilliant. Barrows and Blackall keep this seventh series entry original and funny.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2010
For the science fair, second-graders Ivy and Bean need to come up with an idea to fight global warming. A few false starts involve hurling ice cubes into the sky while jumping on a trampoline (a low-tech attempt to cool down the air); tying their wrists together (to make humans weaker and let the animals take over); and smashing grains of rice with a hammer (could rice be a new source of clean energy?). Though wildly unsuccessful and not even all that fun, these experiments eventually lead the girls to ask some good questions: Why don't grownups like (and therefore care about) nature as much as kids do, and how can they be taught to like it? The answer they come up with, like many scientific ideas, is simple but brilliant: give grownups their favorite thing -- a calm, quiet rest -- in a natural setting. How Ivy and Bean accomplish this deserves a prize, and Barrows and Blackall deserve kudos for keeping this seventh book in the series original and funny. jennifer m. brabander

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)