"And sure, I'd love to
use my umbrella.
The blue one with the
bumblebees on it.
But everyone looked,
and no one could find it.
Badger said she found her
blue bumblebee umbrella.
But not mine.
Blah."
What a debut!
This is the kind of book that makes me want to get right back in classrooms, and read to kids, kids, and more kids. They would be hooting, and I would be loving sharing this grumpy bear's take on rain. As can be seen from both images included in the post, the bear is not impressed with the wetness, or his friends' enjoyment of it. At least, not in the beginning.
He would rather spend time in his cave; he tries to convince the others to join him. Except for the hula hooping moose, things would be exactly right. Hard to imagine how much space a moose with a hula hoop can take up. It isn't long until they are all back outside. The moose's enthusiasm never wanes; the bear's attitude doesn't change.
And then, the hula hoop gets caught on a tree branch. That just will not do. The bear supports both rabbit and badger in retrieving said hoop. A slip in a huge puddle, encouragement from his friends, and a perfect opportunity for fun has the bear trying the hoop himself.
"There. I did it. Totally
unfun. Just like I thought.
Now if you'll excuse me,
I need a moment to myself."
Trickster, indeed!
Ali Cushman's remarkably expressive characters will grab attention when kids are introduced to the cover. What an invitation it is to get inside and see what is happening. Laugh-out-load fun, with a water-logged and detailed setting will certainly have young listeners looking for the nearest puddle. This is a perfect book for examining how voice impacts storytelling. I can't wait to read it out loud! Bravo!
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