Review by Booklist Review
Asch adds another picture book to his Baby Bear series, which includes Sand Cake (1978), Popcorn (1979), and Milk and Cookies (1982). Baby Bear is apprehensive when Mama and Papa Bear take him out for his first pizza what if he doesn't like it? Will he have to eat it anyway? The restaurant smells good. And the pizza? His new favorite food! As they walk home, everything round (car wheels, manhole covers, the moon) reminds Little Bear of his dinner. That night, he even dreams of pizza. And the next morning, what would he like for breakfast? Young children will be eager to shout the answer. Apart from the childlike double-page spread representing Little Bear's crayon drawing on his restaurant place mat, the illustrations feature black line drawings and largely flat colors. The simple, colloquial text tells the story smoothly. In the breakfast scene, pictures of foods appear in Mama Bear's wordless speech balloons, creating an amiable introduction to this cartoon convention. Like the food it celebrates, this picture book will be a real crowd-pleaser.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-When Asch's iconic Baby Bear tries his first pizza, infatuation is evident in his psychedelic eyes. "He had never tasted anything so yummy!" On the way home, all circular shapes remind him of pizza. He dreams of aliens serving pies with inventive toppings like macaroni and cheese or peanut butter and jelly. The next morning, his parents' offers of breakfast options are repeatedly declined, since Baby Bear only wants pizza. Asch's cartoon scenes of the bear family continue to reflect a 1950s flair. Pennants on the bedroom wall, the restaurant with a moustache-wearing waiter in a tuxedo and a violinist in the background, and even Mama's modest jumper and sensible shoes reflect a pleasant nostalgia.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA (c) Copyright 2015. 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 an amusing story that should resonate with young readers, Baby Bear can't think of anything but pizza after he tastes his very first delectable bite; he even dreams of space aliens cooking strange pizzas. The next morning, to his parents' chagrin, Baby Bear requests pizza for breakfast. Asch's familiar, clean-colored illustrations do much of the storytelling and feature numerous round, pizza-like shapes. (c) Copyright 2016. 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
It may be hard for many American readers to believe, but Baby Bear has never had pizza before in this new offering from the beloved creator of Moonbear.When Baby Bear's parents take him to a new pizza parlor, their little cub worries that he may not like this new-to-him food. He does like the restaurantit smells good, and he has a paper placemat to color on while he waits. When his food arrives, his worries are quickly assuaged when he tastes the pizza. Mama asks him if he likes it, and his response is emphatic: " Like it?' cried Baby Bear. I love it!' " That night Baby Bear sees pizzas in everything around him (the round moon, car tires, even a manhole), and he dreams of fanciful pizzas in his sleep. When he awakens the next morning, his parents offer various breakfast choices, but he rejects them and requests (what else?) pizza. Their chagrined expressions suggest that they see they've created something of a pizza monster with the prior night's dinnertime outing. Fans of Asch's prior Moonbear and Baby Bear books will recognize the anthropomorphic ursine characters, the art's style and the simple story structure. A sweetly simple story that hinges on not just Baby Bear's appetite, but his imaginative flights of fancy, too. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
