Jo WeaverRezensionen

Lovely black & white picture book. The story is rather peaceful and calming, probably better suited for bedtime than afternoon group storytime.

Note: I received a digital ARC through NetGalley. I also received an F&G from the publisher at an ALA conference.

I really like how the small tigers are included in the hunt for a new home.

Fable about war and freedom, nicely juxtaposed with refugees fleeing on a boat. Lovely work.

The book follows the migration of a grey whale and her calf, and a lot of the text amounts to "are we there yet?" The illustrations, however, are astonishing in their richness -- have perfectly captured a vision of being underwater. The limited palate is extraordinarily effective.

A quiet book about a Mother bear teaching her young cub how to live in their world. The black and white illustrations are beautifullly rendered.

This is a gentle story about Mother bear and her cub referred to as `Little One`. It starts with leaving the den, learning about the world and how to survive during the spring and summer, then back to the den in the winter. It shows how Little One begins to develop independence and the love of mother and child. This is a beautiful story about growing up. What the description of the book calls stunning black and white illustrations, I see as the one drawback. Children get drawn in by colour and I have seen many beautiful stories with B&W illustrations get pushed aside in favour of the books with coloured illustrations.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book for 3 reasons. First, the writing of the book flowed nicely. From page to page it was written to follow nice and easily there was a pace to the book that made it easy to read. Second, the illustrations made this book a very simplistic book. The illustrations were in black and white created with what seemed to be a black pencil. However, that did not lessen the quality. Considering the book was about a mother bear and baby bear made the pictures fit perfectly. Any love amongst a mother and child is simple. Lastly, I enjoyed this book because of the characters. This book was about a mother cub who was allowing her baby to branch out and grow and learn to do things on its own. However, that did not mean that the mother was not there every step of the way. In each page the mother was there guiding and helping in the way best fit. The message I got out of this story was the ability to grow with love and support from a parent and feel protected.

Have you ever sat down with a little one and taken a pencil and made simple drawings to entertain them? No color. Just a simple black lead pencil. To the child you have just done something wondrous and special.

In Little One the artist and author has taken the simplicity of black and white with muted shading and told a simple story. Simple visually. Simple text. A few words that share how the mama bear gently leads baby bear as they emerge from den and winter slumber into an awakening world of spring. She leads him on through the summer and into the fall until it is again time to sleep in the den for another winter.

Yes, a spot of color here and there (example: the spring flowers, the fall leaves) might have lent more interest visually; but I chose to enjoy the book as Joe Weaver has drawn it in its beautiful black and white simplicity.

I think this book is a treasure for its lovely story and also for its ability to detail beauty with stark simplicity.

GIVEAWAY - click here - http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/2016/12/little-one-by-jo-weaver-from-peachtree.... - Begins December 1 - ENDS December 11 @ 12:01 a.m. ET - Open to USA addresses only

DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy from Peachtree Publishing to facilitate a review of my own opinions which are freely given. Giveaway copy is provided directly to the winner by Peachtree.

bears, hibernation, winter

Big Bear and Little Bear emerge from their winter den into the spring world and Little Bear needs to learn everything to be a bear. Big Bear teaches Little Bear who their friends in the forest are, how to fish and how to forage. Soon, though it is time to go back to their den for winter.

A short book, good for your own little ones. The book has a sweet, calming tone and is great for parent-child bonding time. This works well if you need a quick read for bedtime or even for going to explore new things. The pictures are black and white sketches, simple and are able to tell the story itself.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

I love this little book. It's sweet and simple (which is a compliment), and simply charming. Looking back on it some time after I first read it, I honestly couldn't remember if there were even words in it, or if it was told purely in pictures. There are words – "There's so much to discover in your new world, Little One," said Big Bear – but they're spare and undemanding, and perfect. I never would have thought I'd be so enthusiastic over a picture book with black and white illustrations, but I love this. Big Bear is solid and reassuring; Little One is energetic and every bit as adorable as baby animals are supposed to be. There is a lovely rhythm to the story, looping from the end of hibernation to the beginning, leading naturally to encouraging a child to settle down and hibernate for the night. It's pretty close to perfect.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.

Spring is here and mom bear has so many thing to teach her little cub before winter comes again. The fish and hunt. They wander through the forest and through the night. They meet other animals, and eat ripe berries. They enjoy each other until the day comes. Back to their old den, they curl up together dreaming of the next spring.
Sweet story and lovely illustrations. Perfect for a bed time story.

Age range 2 to 5 years old

Check out more children's book reviews in my Reviews in Chalk Blog!