Review by Booklist Review
Baby Bear and his mother wake up at dawn. As the sun fills their den with light, Baby Bear sees yellow. Roaming around outdoors, the curious cub also notices green leaves in the oak tree, a brown trout in the river, an orange butterfly in the meadow. When the sky turns gray, Baby Bear and Mama return to their den and watch a passing thunderstorm, followed by a rainbow. Night falls and the little bear goes to sleep. Wolff's illustrations, black linoleum-block prints washed with watercolors, feature bold lines, strong compositions, and sensitive uses of color that will draw readers into the pictures. Excellent for group sharing, the artwork shows up especially well from a distance. The quiet text is made up of Baby Bear's questions about the sensory wonders of his world and his mother's replies, and given a chance, young children will be happy to supply the answers first. An engaging concept book with just enough narrative for its audience.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wolff's (Compost Stew) watercolor-tinted linocuts make each page of this story simultaneously cozy and dramatic-cozy because they star a fuzzy bear cub and his mother, and dramatic because each one contrasts dark shapes with washes of light and color. This is Baby Bear's first spring, and everything is new to him. "Who is warming me, Mama?" Baby Bear asks, clambering over his mother to get a better look at the light outside. "That is the sun," his mother tells him. At the cave entrance, golden sunbeams stream in-"Baby Bear sees yellow"-and Baby Bear is shown in silhouette as he sits just where the cave's blackness meets the light of the outside world. The line "Baby Bear sees" is repeated for the brown of a trout, the blue of a jay, the red of a strawberry, and more, linking every color to something in the natural world. Children will be absorbed by the complex textures of Wolff's linocuts, the Japanese woodblock-style graded shades of the sky, and the reassuring comfort of a world that is always safely guarded by Mama Bear. Ages 2-6. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Under the guidance of his watchful mother, an inquisitive baby bear romps through a rainbow of shades, encountering everything from the golden yellows of the sun to the juicy reds of some berries, in this gentle concept book. Enchanting watercolors convey an idyllic natural world and a strong parent-child bond that will keep readers young and old turning pages. (c) Copyright 2014. 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
In Wolff's latest picture book (Stella and Roy, rev. 9/93; Little Donkey Close Your Eyes, rev. 1/96), a young bear awakes, curious about the world and ready to explore it with his mother. About the light that fills their den, he asks, "Who is warming me, Mama?" She replies that it's the sun, and "Baby Bear sees yellow." As the day progresses, Baby Bear asks questions about the birdsong he hears, the sweet fragrance he smells, the fish that splash him, the wings that tickle him. Each time, Mama gives him the answer, and each time Baby Bears stops to look at the corresponding color: blue jays, red strawberries, brown trout, orange butterflies. The pacing of the book is perfectly suited to its young audience. With each new encounter Baby Bear's question and Mama's answer occur on one double-page spread while the next spread pauses to let Baby Bear (and readers) revel in the colors and in nature. The repetition is also carefully employed: before readers can become bored with the progression, a thunderstorm approaches, Baby Bear and Mama retreat to their den, and when the storm passes, they look out to see a rainbow -- the synthesis of Baby Bear's day. Wolff's art -- linoleum block prints hand-colored with watercolor -- capture not only the glories of the natural world but also the loving relationship between parent and child. Satisfyingly, the book comes full circle, ending at bedtime: "Good night, Baby Bear,' Mama says. Good night, Mama,' says Baby Bear. Then Baby Bear closes his eyes and sees nothing but deep, soft black." martha v. parravano (c) Copyright 2012. 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.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Blueberries for Sal, Wolff creates a gentle story for toddlers that introduces colors and images from the natural world. Between awakening in the den and cuddling down for the night, Baby Bear's day is full of new experiences and prescient questions. "A glow creeps in. / Who is warming me, Mama?' / asks Baby Bear. / That is the sun,' Mama says." Page turns effectively deliver the color lessons: Silhouetted against the golden light of dawn, "Baby Bear sees yellow." The cub sees green oak leaves waving, smells fragrant red strawberries, and hears the growl of thunder against a stormy gray sky. Wolff's lovely compositions feature inked linoleum block prints that render those bears a strikingly deep, matte black. Lush, washy watercolors illuminate the scenes--colors in the downpour's puddles reflect a rainbow. Curious Baby Bear is 100-percent toddler, and Wolff skillfully captures both the bear-ish (the mother's prodigious claws and small, lipid brown eyes) and the human (smiles, tender looks and, well, dialogue). Small children notice small things, and plenty of tiny creatures--grasshopper, frog, mouse and more--await their discovery. Imbued with a spirit of exploration, fostered by parental protection, Baby Bear's colorful adventures will enrich repeat bedtime read-alouds. (Picture book. 2-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
