Wild About Bears

December 16, 2013
Readers may be surprised to learn that only eight species of bears exist on the planet (polar, brown, spectacled, sloth, sun, giant panda, and North American and Asiatic black bears). This fact-filled guide provides an overview of each species, focusing on their physical and behavioral characteristics in relationship to their environments. After initial introductory paragraphs, Brett scatters brief, captionlike sentences throughout her warm, naturalistic watercolor scenes. “The long, curved claws and bowed legs of the sun bear make it an excellent tree climber,” she writes as two are shown high in the branches of a tall tree, one licking at a beehive. A solid introduction to bears, their habits, and the challenges they face. Ages 6–9.

March 1, 2014

Gr 2-5-There are only eight species of bears on Earth, and Brett examines each of them. Opening spreads discuss general physical traits and behavior; a double-page chapter is then devoted to each species. Many facts are scattered throughout the captions for the art as well as in the main text, but font sizes help guide readers' eyes to keep the text from becoming overwhelming. The watercolor illustrations depict the bears' habitats as well as behaviors, and a world map indicates their range. A useful addition.-Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2014
Grades K-3 In her latest informative picture book, Brett shows not only how varied the world's eight species of bears are but also how much they have in common. In a series of engaging double-page watercolors, Brett depicts bears in various habitats doing their typical activitieshunting, exploring, eating, and sleeping. Fun factsfor example, The sucking noise of the sloth bear's snout can be heard from 300 feet away are liberally scattered throughout the spreads in a smaller font size. Fully aware of the cuteness factor of cubs, Brett features a mother bear and at least one cub in almost all of her paintings. (And as the section on North American black bears reveals, one mother may give birth to different colored cubs, including some that look like polar bears.) Brett ends her text with the reminder that humans should think about protecting bears and the ecosystems in which they live. Also included in the back matter are a habitat glossary and a map, which shows where in the world the eight species live.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
Soft watercolor paintings illustrate this uncluttered picture book. After some general information about physical characteristics and behavior, the discussion focuses on the eight bear species, one per double-page spread. A couple of paragraphs cover specifics, including habitat, appearance, and diet. There's the occasional arcane fact: e.g., the soles of polar bears' feet "are covered with tiny suction cups called vacuoles." Habitat map, reading list, websites. Glos.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)