Review by Booklist Review
PreS^-Gr. 2. A youngster musters up his courage and taps into his own resources to find a way out of a troubling situation in this appealing story that can double as a lesson about self-confidence. While mama hangs the wash and Papa rakes the leaves, little Oliver the Bear chases a yellow leaf down the hill and out of the yard. The elusive autumn leaf leads Oliver on quite a journey--around a "clumpy bush," under a twisty tree, and all the way to the edge of the woods. The next thing Oliver knows, the leaf has disappeared and he is lost. He calls for his parents and tries to retrace his steps, but to no avail. But after a good cry, he thinks and thinks until he comes up with a solution. The illustrations, in deep, warm fall colors--golds and browns and rusty reds--are skillfully executed. Oliver is a darling, pudgy bear, whose lumberjack shirt and overalls give him winning charm. The art will carry well for use with a small group. Helen Rosenberg
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Root (What Baby Wants) uses a minimum of text and Denise (The Fool of the World) alternates close-up portraits with panoramic view to bring a fresh poignancy to the familiar theme of a child so caught up in play that he suddenly finds himself lost and alone. On a gorgeous autumn day, while Mama and Papa tend to chores, Oliver the bear cub follows the airborne path of a big yellow leaf. In nearly cinematic views framed in a clean white border, the artist shows the cub getting farther from home. Before he knows it, Oliver is at the edge of the woods. With economic, staccato-rhythm prose ("Oliver looks for the leaf./ No leaf./ Oliver looks for the house./ No house"), Root evokes the flashes of realization that constitute a child's thought process. Denise's gold-toned charcoal and pastel pictures never distort the landscape into something frightening. The woods where Oliver finds himself may be shadowy, but glimpses of comforting blue sky show through the trees, and a squirrel and bunny who watch Oliver are far from threatening. Denise gets terrific emotional mileage from the interplay of Oliver's tiny eyes, huge head and clown-like snout; readers will have no trouble empathizing with his plight. And when Oliver figures out that he can find his way back through call-and-response roars with his parents, youngsters will cheer his noisy ingenuity, too. Ages 3-6. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Descriptive yet succinct language tells the story of a small bear who gets lost while chasing an autumn leaf. First he bursts into tears, but when he realizes that crying doesn't help, he devises a plan to get him back home to Mama and Papa and "tumble-down hugs." Denise effectively uses a red, orange, gold, and yellow palette of pastels and charcoal on paper to illustrate the seasonal story. Children see lots of white space until Oliver becomes lost. Then, the full-spread illustrations take on a darker palette to bring home the scariness of the situation. The happy ending is totally satisfying and will leave readers smiling.-Kathleen Simonetta, Indian Trails Public Library District, Wheeling, IL (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
(Preschool) Despite the alluring rural setting, glowing with autumnal golds, reds, and greens, young viewers will be immediately drawn to the very small bear perched on the back porch of the sunlit farmhouse and will recognize that it is his story. ""While Mama hangs the wash out and Papa rakes the leaves, Oliver chases a big yellow leaf..."" And as the leaf floats down the hill and toward the woods, it is clear that the little brown bear is heading for trouble. In the woods, lost among enormous trees, Oliver temporarily succumbs to his fear. A double-page spread shows the small plaid-and-denim-clad bear gathering himself together as he ""rubs his nose and tries to think""; the artist focuses on Oliver's dilemma by placing him against stark white space, in contrast to the lush landscapes of the rest of the book. Oliver quickly finds his way: he roars louder and louder until his parents roar back, then follows the sound all the way home. The creators clearly understand the emotional reach of their young audience, and the story is well suited to them. The scenery just about steals the show, though, capturing every hue of the fall leaves in the waning post-summer sunlight. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Most children experience the gripping fear of losing their bearings and the overwhelming relief of finding their way again at least once in their lifetime. Root (What's That Noise?, p. 953, etc.) gently approaches this potentially frightening rite of passage through Oliver, a curious and adorable bear cub, as he, "chases a big yellow leaf down the hill, around a clumpy bush, under a twisty tree, and all the way to the edge of the woods," out of the sight of his parents busy working on outdoor chores. After he loses track of the leaf, Oliver suddenly realizes he too is lost and desperately tries to retrace his steps. But he is unable to find his particular twisty tree or clumpy bush. When a round of crying doesn't prove helpful Oliver, "rubs his nose and tries to think. He thinks and thinks and thinks." Oliver's own clever idea to roar loudly gets his parents' attention and ultimately lands him safely in their arms. Pastel and charcoal illustrations beautifully capture the quaint country farmhouse, colorful foliage, and filtered sunlight of a crisp fall day in New England. Especially appealing are Oliver's expressions as he experiences the awe of exploring new territory, the realization and fear of being lost, and the happiness of discovering his way home. A simple yet highly relevant tale for young readers. (Picture book. 2-5)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
