January 31, 2022
Comedian Meyers, making his picture book debut, skillfully employs classic story-
telling elements of repetition, patterned action, and a cumulative recap in a breezy readaloud starring an easily terrified ursine protagonist. When brave, strong-eared Rabbit persuades Bear, who’s afraid of everything from intruders to his own reflection, to go on a trekking adventure, Bear proves petrified of just about everything the landscape holds. There’s a small stream that “looks deep,” a wood that “looks spooky,” and a mountain that “looks like one of the rocks will fall and roll and land on my paw.” Asked over and over whether he’s afraid, though, Bear utters the title phrase turned refrain. Bear isn’t just defensive; he’ll go to any length to avoid perceived peril, taking a train and a helicopter to scale the mountain while Rabbit forges ahead on foot (and naps until Bear shows up). But when Rabbit needs rescuing, Bear forgets his fear, overcomes every obstacle in his path, and saves the day. Sayegh’s (Arlo Draws an Octopus) digital illustrations offer impeccable visual timing and comic expressiveness in cinematically framed, richly textured images. It’s a satisfyingly silly adventure that doesn’t undercut Bear’s need for the occasional life hack. Ages 3–7.
May 20, 2022
K-Gr 2-A lovable bear and bubbly rabbit learn a lesson about courage and care in this funny story that can easily settle young readers into a lengthy, satisfying read-aloud experience about the best friends' day of adventure. Bear, who is afraid of everything, reluctantly joins Rabbit as she does her best to help introduce him to new outdoor places. Readers will hoot with laughter at the silliness of Bear's antics to avoid facing his fears and the back-and-forth chatter between Bear and Rabbit, while the ending will surprise even Bear, in the best sense. Meyers employs excellent action words and slips in clever quips to shape the friends' personalities and interact with the reading audience. Sayegh's entertaining digital illustrations, which integrate some real-world textures for nature elements, build multiple perspectives around Bear's easy-to-read body language and match sequential phrases with grouped vignettes. VERDICT Perfect for an extended read-aloud and raucous story hours, this hilarious tale will have readers invested in the characters' friendship as they discover what it means to be truly courageous.-Rachel Mulligan
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