One Very Big Bear

Originally published in France, this math-minded picture book introduces a hulking polar bear who is impressed by his own size. "I'm very big!" he proclaims. "I'm almost a giant!" The other polar animals nearby dismiss his size: "You're not that big," suggest two walruses who swim up to his ice floe. "Look at this: one + one. We two are just as big as you!" The addition theme continues as three foxes, four sea lions, five penguins, and six sardines hop on each other's backs to show Bear that they are just as large as he is. In minimalist illustrations that resemble screenprints, Philipponneau and Enjary create rich contrasts by using a color scheme of vivid mint green, black, and white. The closing scene--in which Bear remembers that his mouth is pretty big, too--will leave readers giggling. Ages 3-5. (Oct.)

PreS-Gr 1--A polar bear stands on a chunk of ice and boasts of his size. When the other animals hear, they stand on one another's heads to show him that he's not that tall. The walruses teeter beside him and say, "We TWO are just as big as you!" As the tower of animals grows in size, so do the opportunities for counting and addition. The ending is something of a shock, but being that the main character is a wild polar bear, the last creatures who question his height (six sardines) make a perfect breakfast. The black-and-white illustrations are striking against the green sky. The column of animals on the right-hand page match the column of addition in the text on the left-hand page. VERDICT A picture book for children who like a bit of a surprise when they are learning their numbers.--Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, Alta., Canada