Roly Poly

In this sprightly offering from the team behind Time for Bed, Roly Poly the polar bear thinks life is "grand"--until the morning he learns that the wee bear sharing his bed is his new brother, Monty: "But I never asked for a baby brother, and I don't want one now!" His protests form a refrain that grows more emphatic--and provides resonant readaloud opportunities--as he becomes increasingly irked at playful Monty's presence. Yet when Monty becomes stranded on an ice floe, Roly Poly has a change of heart and emerges a hero, and the two "lived happily ever after. Well.... Mostly." Fox's spare, wry text leaves readers ample room to embellish and personalize the story, while the mixed-media illustrations humorously portray the siblings' interactions. Dyer fashioned the bears using needle felting, a process that involves poking raw wool with a barbed needle to alter the density of its fiber, and Birdsall (the Penderwicks series) helped Dyer stage the scenarios and then photographed them. The resulting, beguiling images have a 3-D quality and authentically capture the jumbled emotions that accompany the arrival of a sibling. Ages 4--8. (Nov.)

A young polar bear learns to accept his role of big brother to a new arrival in his family.Roly Poly is happy being the only child, cherished by his loving parents. He enjoys skating, fishing, and snuggling up in his own cozy bed. On the nightstand next to Roly Poly's bed is a tiny copy of Time for Bed, the beloved 1993 classic by Fox and Dyer, reunited again as a creative team with this heartwarming story. Roly Poly's world is shaken when a little brother named Monty shows up unexpectedly one morning, sleeping right next to Roly Poly. The older brother is annoyed by Monty's attempts to play and is horrified when Monty grabs a freshly caught fish and steals Roly Poly's special walrus tooth. But when Monty's life is in danger as he floats away on an ice floe, Roly Poly realizes he does care for his brother, and he dives into the icy water to save Monty. The dramatic rescue isn't shown in the illustrations, so readers must imagine the specifics of saving Monty for themselves. In a departure from her signature watercolors, Dyer has created charming, needle-felted polar bears as the characters, photographed with tiny accessories in miniature rooms or snowy, outdoor settings. Fox's spare text demonstrates her deep understanding of a youngster's intense emotions, subtly showing Roly Poly's growth from a self-centered toddler to a big brother who can take responsibility for a younger brother he has grown to love.A new classic for new big brothers and sisters. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.