Review by Booklist Review
Ages 3-5. Adorably drawn, eye-catching animals are the hook for this lighthearted picture book. When the elephant walks--and this rotund guy really struts--he scares the bear. When the bear runs away, dropping his honey in the process, he frightens the crocodile. One animal after another is startled, until it's a mouse who is scurrying in terror. But who can a little mouse scare? Well, as the last picture shows, everyone. A clean design, good-size artwork, and brief text make this ideal for story hours. Fun for the young. --Ilene Cooper
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
``When the Elephant walks . . . he scares the Bear,'' begins this whimsical chain-reaction story. Bear, who is interrupted as he tries to raid a beehive for honey, runs away from the Elephant. Bear then scares the Crocodile, who is relaxing and reading a newspaper. The Crocodile dives into the water and swims for his life. In turn he frightens the Wild Hog who, with goggles on his head and a tube around his middle, is poised to take a dip. And so on, until a frightened mouse scurries into . . . guess who? The elephant, of course, trembling in terror. Kasza ( The Wolf's Chicken Stew and The Pigs' Picnic ) fills her pictures with amusing details that children will appreciate along with the simple story. Especially entertaining are the expressions on the animals' faces. Ages 3-6. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--When the Elephant Walks, he frightens the Bear who in turn scares the next animal; from Crocodile to Wild Hog to Mrs. Raccoon, the panic spreads until it returns to Elephant who is, of course, scared of little Mouse. Although adults will easily predict the outcome, young children will giggle at the absurdity of the conclusion of this humorous story. It is a testament to the artist's expressive watercolors that so fulfilling a tale--complete with a subtle lesson (even the mighty among us are afraid of something)--can be told in so few words. Kasza's restraint in the amount of detail included in the pictures is admirable; large amounts of white space draw attention to and frame each animal's fearful yet silly face. Not an original concept, but nevertheless sure to be a popular choice for preschoolers and beginning readers. --Ellen Fader, Westport Pub . Lib . , CT (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
Beginning with 'when the elephant walks ... he scares the bear,' this circular tale recounts a series of encounters which ends with a terrified mouse startling the same ponderous pachyderm who started the chain of events. An unpretentious, engaging book, executed with charm and elan. From HORN BOOK 1990, (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.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
When the Elephant walks. . .he scares the Bear. When the Bear runs away. . .he scares the Crocodile""--who is peacefully sipping a cool drink and reading the paper. The sixth frightened creature is a mouse--who, of course, completes the circle by scaring the Elephant. Kasza brings delicious humor to this wonderfully simple tale in his expressive watercolors, where each of the beasts is about as terrifying as the kindliest of grandparents. The expressions on their faces, the body language, and details (e.g., the old-fashioned bathing suit worn by the Wild Hog, and the anxious Frog who observes his antics) are priceless. A gem to share, with lap-sitter or group. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
