Chocolate and peanut butter. Starsky and Hutch. Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman. There are some things that work together, teams whose end results are so effective, charming or tasty that you look forward to enjoying them. Big Bear, Small Mouse is like that. This is from the Bear series of books by Wilson and Chapman.
We’ve been fans of this series for years and Bear Snores On is one of the classic board books that your toddler needs to own. There are more from the Bear series of books in the house too. Fans of the series will find themselves flip flopping as to what they like most about them. Is it the carefree happiness of the artwork by Jane Chapman? It could be the timing and caliber of the words by Karma Wilson.
Paraphrasing Ratatouille, ‘this is good and that is good, but when you put the two of them together something magical happens. The pairing of Wilson and Chapman is that, it’s a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Big Bear, Small Mouse is a book of opposites for kids 3-7. It conveys a felling of warmth, happiness and fun that is difficult to find in children’s books. Some of the images are gatefold, with no white spaces at all. It’s a forest scene with bear, mouse, badger and hare going someplace that you probably want to go also. All of the animals are playful, carefree and happy, just the way you want your children to be and how you will be when you’re reading this to them.
As with all of the Bear books Big Bear, Small Mouse is the perfect length to read as a good-night book. The words and art leave enough space for you to have side conversations with your child. You can point out the mushrooms, have them count the yellow flowers, bees or differences with the animals to have side conversations.
This is happy. Pure happiness in children’s book form. Just look at the cover for Big Bear, Small Mouse and smile. If you have a child who is three they’ll love reading it with you and it’ll be in your children’s library for years to come.
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