Review by Booklist Review
Age 3^-6. Unbeknownst to Moonbear and Little Bird, a kangaroo and her joey have escaped from the zoo and have bounced into Moonbear's yard. The two friends mistakenly think they must be dreaming (because why else would a kangaroo be hopping there?) and decide to make the most of their new, dreamlike state. Moonbear and Little Bird begin their adventure by eating all their stockpiled honey and birdseed, and then, delighting in this mischief, they mess up Moonbear's house. They don't have to suffer the consequences because they only need to pinch themselves to wake up! Asch humorously wraps up the story by introducing the zookeeper, who creates order out of the chaos. Asch's familiar restrained illustrations, computer-generated in Photoshop, neatly reflect the story's understated humor and the beloved silliness of Moonbear's world. This title will be welcomed by fans of the earlier books about Moonbear and his friends. --Kathy Broderick
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Moonbear and Little Bird think they're dreaming when they see a kangaroo (escaped from the zoo) hopping across the yard, in the ursine hero's latest caper. Ages 2-6. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-A book that will please some of Asch's fans while perplexing others. The unlikely sight of a kangaroo hopping past their house convinces Bear and Little Bird that they must be dreaming. When his feathered friend suggests that they wake themselves up, Bear says, "Why not have some fun first?" So, they eat their food stores, make a mess, and go for a swim. In the meantime, a zookeeper comes searching and finds the escaped kangaroo wandering in the disheveled house. Believing she must be responsible for the mess, the zookeeper, depicted as a pig, quickly sets everything straight. Bear and Little Bird return home, happy (but not surprised) to find normalcy restored. They settle down for a nap, exhausted from their "dream" adventures. As always, Asch's illustrations are childlike and charming. Soft colors and rounded shapes emphasize the coziness of Bear's home. Visual jokes include showing the escaped kangaroo through Bear's window as the friends settle down for their (real) nap at the end. Young children will enjoy the opportunity to revisit familiar characters; for some young listeners, however, the question of whether the story is in fact dream or reality may cause confusion. Libraries in which the series is particularly popular may wish to add this title while others will want to wait for the next installment in hopes of a more straightforward and satisfying story.-Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
When Bear and Little Bird see an escaped kangaroo, they assume they must be dreaming. They decide they can do anything they want since all will return to normal when they wake up, so they eat their winter supplies and make a terrible mess in their house. Asch's surprise ending, his boisterous sense of humor, and his simple, bold illustrations are just right for preschoolers. From HORN BOOK Spring 2000, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
