Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The Berenstain Bears Go Back to School by Stan and Jan Berenstain with Mike Berenstain, follows Brother and Sister Bear as they head back to class-and come to grips with the nervousness of being in a new grade. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-This offering does little to reassure children about a new experience. Basically, it gives a tour of a school and describes some activities. The principal is made of stern stuff and has a bench "-where naughty cubs wait,/sitting so quietly/awaiting their fate." Teacher Jane says, "`You know I've got eyes in the back of my head,'" and, as illustrated, one cub imagines her with two sets of eyes. Teacher Bob introduces himself by saying, "`Third grade is hard./Third grade is tough./There's no more easy/First-gradish stuff.'" The cadence of the verse and the bright, busy illustrations in typical Berenstain style are appealing, but some of the vocabulary will be challenging for kindergartners, who will probably not recognize themselves as "-doing their very best to cope." First- through third-graders will relate better to the setting and be able to read this book independently, but why would they want to? The text says, "Though school is a challenge,/it can also be fun." True, but the only fun parts shown here are recess and going home.-Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, Waterford, NJ (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
Banal rhymes about Brother and Sister Bear's fall return to Bear Country School are accompanied by illustrations at times so busy that occasionally it's unclear which images correspond with which lines of text. Riding the bus, dealing with tough kids and teachers, recess anarchy--the cumulative effect is a bland, static overview of an annual occasion. (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.
