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40 pp.
| Charlesbridge
| July, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-1-58089-156-1$9.95
(4)
K-3
With James Rumford. Max refuses to color the flower drawing that his teacher distributes to the class in honor of Mother's Day: he knows that his mom would prefer his hand-drawn illustration. The sweet story is rather purposeful--and overblown (a police officer is summoned after Max runs off)--but the spare illustrations are tenderly expressive.
32 pp.
| Charlesbridge
| July, 2006
|
LibraryISBN 1-57091-677-2$9.95 New ed. (1973, Dial)
(3)
PS
In this quiet story, a little boy walks through a forest with his teddy bear, calmly assuring the teddy that he'll protect him from lions and tigers and elephants. As the boy's imagination starts working overtime and things get to be a little too scary, his teddy gets bigger, reassures the boy, and leads him safely home. This edition features recolorized illustrations.
32 pp.
| Charlesbridge
| February, 2006
|
TradeISBN 1-57091-678-0$9.95 New ed. (1979, Dial)
(3)
PS
Oliver's anxiety about a new sibling precipitates a meltdown in which he fantasizes about throwing his mother in a trash can and banging on the lid with a stick. There have been other honest depictions of children's violent reactions to new babies, but this humorous and reassuring reissue (in a slightly larger format with the original drawings colorized by Alexander) still resonates.
32 pp.
| Charlesbridge
| February, 2006
|
TradeISBN 1-57091-679-9$9.95 New ed. (1971, Dial)
(2)
PS
Oliver pulls his unwanted baby sister around the neighborhood in a wagon, trying to find someone who'll take her off his hands. Reissued in a slightly larger format with the original pencil drawings colorized by Alexander, this humorous and reassuring story is well worth a second look.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
December, 1971
32 pp.
| Candlewick
| November, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-7636-1590-0$$13.99
(3)
PS
In another entry in the popular series, two neighborhood kids covet Anthony's bear, which he has brought to life with chalk, Harold and the Purple Crayon style. Anthony doesn't want to share, but after the bear (his alter-ego) points out that his friends are feeling left out, they find a compromise. The delicate, small-scale watercolors reinforce the tender emotions of the story, which is told entirely in convincingly kidlike dialogue.
(2)
PS
Another comforting story about Blackboard Bear has been reissued with full-color art. Preschoolers will appreciate young Anthony's predicament and the gently humorous conclusion.
40 pp.
| Candlewick
| April, 2001
|
TradeISBN 0-7636-0669-3$$10.99 1976, Dial
(2)
PS
While these new editions are larger and the art is now in full color, the words remain essentially unchanged in these stories about Anthony and the ways in which his bear, a blackboard drawing that comes to life, helps him handle his feelings. Anthony is a sympathetic hero faced with real-life problems, and the solutions are just right for preschoolers.
(2)
PS
While these new editions are larger and the art is now in full color, the words remain essentially unchanged in these stories about Anthony and the ways in which his bear, a blackboard drawing that comes to life, helps him handle his feelings. Anthony is a sympathetic hero faced with real-life problems, and the solutions are just right for preschoolers.
(2)
K-3
Although the pictures of boys playing cowboys and Indians (and cops and robbers) with guns and tomahawks bring us back to a more politically innocent era, Blackboard Bear has been full-colored, gently, and given a larger trim size for a new lease on life.