Praise for Shh! Bears Sleeping:
"The youngest bear lovers will appreciate Martin's simple rhyming lines, accompanied by attractive pastel scenes of bear life." —The New York Times Book Review
"The terse, evocative lines of verse give structure to this lovely picture book, which is illustrated with nicely textured, beautifully composed oil paintings. Using light and shadow effectively, the artwork captures the beauty of the forest in all seasons . . . this handsome picture book is highly recommended for reading aloud." —Booklist
"Gorgeous oil paintings convey the changing cycles of the seasons as seen through the eyes of a black bear and her cubs." —School Library Journal
"Johnson and Fancher's oil-painted bears are stunningly realistic, yet they also have a cozy fuzziness, wrapped in dark brown warmth." —Kirkus Reviews
"The text is both informative and inviting. Johnson and Fancher’s expansive oil paintings are softly textured, with underbrush and bear fur coats thick and tactile; the landscapes are detailed and attractive in their own right (most notably when the focus-pulling bears are back underground and out of sight), and the bear cubs are simultaneously realistic and adorable. The result is an effective entry-level natural history lesson that’s a great transition for lovers of fictional picture-book bears." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Breathtaking . . . filled with nuance in a simple rhyming text." —Meridian Magazine
"A wonderful introduction to the natural world, Shh! Bears Sleeping is a delight." —The Repository
12/01/2015
PreS-Gr 2—Gorgeous oil paintings convey the changing cycles of the seasons as seen through the eyes of a black bear and her cubs. The spare text utilizes rhyme and conveys the passing of time: "Skinny bears/with winter hungries/gobble food/to fill up tummies/Berries, honey/Maybe bees/Bugs and grubs/In rotten trees." Mama bear and her two cubs lumber through beautifully painted landscapes as the olive greens, wheaten tans, and tawny yellows disappear rather quickly with a page turn that leads the bears and readers back into the chilly days of winter. "Night and day/day and night/Through winter cold/And winter light/And winter wind/And ice and snow/While blizzards storm/Bears lay low/Underground/Beneath the snow/Fast, fast/Fast asleep." The book completes its circular walk through the seasons with the same bluebird from the first page appearing at story's end to signal the return of spring. An informational spread follows the story, offering facts about black bears, and the process of hibernation. Pair this with other bear stories, such as April Pulley Sayre's Eat Like a Bear (Holt, 2013), Kevin Henkes's Old Bear (Greenwillow, 2008), and Philip and Erin Stead's Bear Has a Story to Tell (Roaring Brook, 2012), for an informational book bundle. VERDICT Beautiful pictures elevate this beyond the slightly saccharine rhyme.—Lisa Kropp, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
2015-10-14
The simplest of narratives, conveyed in lulling rhymes, follows a mother black bear and her two cubs throughout the year. A tiny bluebird trills a note. "Spring is here / Bees hum / Bears wake up / Here they come." The newborn omnivores first search for food, overturning logs and splashing in the water. The cubs frolic and play. Then, suddenly, in a swift page turn, it is winter again: "Spring summer fall / All day long / Bears grow big / Bears grow strong / But in the fall / When leaves turn red / Bears know soon / It's time for bed." The bears burrow in for their long slumber. Winter lethargy (which is different than hibernation, as the appended note explains) certainly deserves the most focus in a work with such a soporific title. However, readers might wish that the interim seasons were explored a bit more fully. Johnson and Fancher's oil-painted bears are stunningly realistic, yet they also have a cozy fuzziness, wrapped in dark brown warmth. After the cubs sleep through the blanketing snow, the bluebird returns, completing the cycle with an echoing refrain that holds so much promise: "Here they come!" Short stanzas (with only a few rhythmic missteps) convey the languorous feeling of a bear's slumber. (Informational picture book. 3-6)
