by Chrissie Krebs (Author)
An ordinary bear gains extraordinary magical powers in this hilarious early graphic novel reader.
Bear was just an average bear, until the day a tornado lodged an out-of-control wizard's wand in his head. Now he looks a bit like a cross between a bear and a unicorn. He is none too pleased, but it seems he might be stuck with the wand for the foreseeable future. Even worse, he now has the ability to grant wishes--something he wants no part of. He'd much rather spend his days dozing away.
His friends give him a new name--Bizard the Bear Wizard--and he reluctantly accepts his new magical powers and starts granting wishes to everyone in the forest. But when the evil wolf and his bad guys threaten them all, Bizard knows it's time to embrace his magical destiny. Only he and his newly wanded head can save the day now. Along the way, Bizard's friends, Fox, Owl, and Squirrel, all bring their own brand of kooky support to his antics as he uses . . . and accidently misuses, his powers.
From the talented author-illustrator Chrissie Krebs comes the first of two hilarious younger graphic novels about Bizard and his friends.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online.
When a magical wand lands on his head during a windstorm, Bear begrudgingly becomes Bizard the Bear Wizard. He reluctantly starts to help his friends and neighbors, but things quickly become complicated as more and more animals find out about Bear's magic. The story ends on a simple lesson about forgiveness, but the overall story feels sporadic, as subplots are suddenly introduced and wrapped up just as abruptly. However, the focus seems to be on the humor and the hilarious wishes the animal friends make, like a squirrel who wants to turn into a ninja, but then becomes a nut—creating a laugh-out-loud situation where Squirrel now finds itself delicious. Likewise, the simple word choice makes this ideal for readers who want to tackle longer graphic novels like "Dog Man," but don't yet have the vocabulary. Artwork feels equally simple and childlike, and matches the tone exactly. VERDICT Simple and silly.—Peter Blenski
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.