Cheery persistence wears down a curmudgeonly bear in a wry comedy of manners that ends in a most unlikely friendship.
Bear is quite sure he doesn’t like visitors. He even has a sign. So when a mouse taps on his door one day, Bear tells him to leave. But when Bear goes to the cupboard to get a bowl, there is the mouse — small and gray and bright-eyed. In this slapstick tale that begs to be read aloud, all Bear wants is to eat his breakfast in peace, but the mouse — who keeps popping up in the most unexpected places — just won’t go away!
From the Publisher
The lively repetition and superb pacing make this an ideal choice for storytime.
—School Library Journal (starred review)
Children's Literature - Ken and Sylvia Marantz
"No visitors allowed" says the sign on Bear's door, so when a small mouse knocks, Bear sends him away, but when he opens the cupboard for a bowl, there is the mouse. "Out!" says Bear, emphasized in large print. As Bear continues to make his breakfast, however, the mouse turns up in the bread drawer, and, after putting the mouse out again, Bear finds him in the fridge. Each time, Bear gets more upset and shuts up more parts of the house, while each time the mouse, "small and gray and bright-eyed," keeps reappearing. When Bear finds the mouse in the teakettle despite all efforts, he gives up. The mouse suggests just a bit of cheese and a cup of tea. The happy ending is then inevitable. A very civilized scene is set in watercolors, ink, and gouache, with appropriate details of cast iron stove, tiled fireplace, and patterned table coverings; it is the perfect place to find the sensitive, tubby brown bear wearing a much too small white apron. Bear's clearly defined expressions, gestures, and body language provoke us; we cannot help but smile. Mouse is a bit small to have the same comic power, but as we can see on the jacket, he can handle himself quite well. The very appealing characters make for a delightfully engaging story. Reviewer: Ken and Sylvia Marantz
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2- When a friendly mouse knocks at his door, Bear sternly points to the "No Visitors Allowed" sign. Returning to his breakfast preparations, he opens the cupboard only to find the mouse tucked inside a bowl. "Perhaps we could have just a spot of tea," the ever-hopeful guest suggests, but he is again shown the door. Despite boarding the windows shut, stopping up the chimney, and plugging the bathtub drain, the persistent rodent keeps reappearing. Finally Bear admits defeat, "I am undone," and agrees to set out a snack. Much to his surprise, Bear enjoys the company and shares jokes and demonstrates a talent at headstands. The visit prompts him to reconsider his sign: "That's for salesmen. Not for friends." Denton's softly hued watercolor illustrations capture the humorous interplay between the unlikely companions. The fastidious, pot-bellied bear wears a tiny apron while the wee mouse with a big personality peeks out of such unlikely places as an egg carton. The lively repetition and superb pacing make this an ideal choice for storytime.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
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