A sprinkling of colorful, out-of-the-ordinary vocabulary words and phrases adds welcome spice to the narrative. Kirkus Reviews Whimsical full-color ink and watercolor illustrations hilariously depict the yin and yang of enormous, cantankerous Bear and tiny, merry Mouse. Booklist Mouse draws upon the sheer force of his cheery goodwill to chip away at Bears resolve, ultimately succeeding.Reads as a well-pitched combination of humorous dialogue and omniscient commentary. Candlewick Sparks are perfect for the newly independent reader: * Award-winning stories by top authors & illustrators * Short, engaging chapters * Vibrant illustrations * Welcoming design * Rich vocabulary Review Quotes With a nicely cadenced text in four short chapters, wonderfully fresh ink-and-watercolor illustrations, and a funny climax, this story works equally well for young independent readers or as a read-aloud for younger children. With a perfectly paced story by Bonny Becker paired with Kady MacDonald Dentons slapstick visual comedy, A Birthday for Bear welcomes young listeners to the party with artwork ideal for sharing. He would much rather spend his birthday alone cleaning his house, but Mouse, small and gray and bright-eyed, has other ideas. In fact, Bear does not like anything to do with birthdays at all. He doesnt like parties or balloons, cards or candles. School Library Journal Bear does not like birthdays.

Book Synopsis The winning stars of A Visitor for Bear make a return engagement. Although not done in a comic book format, visually A Birthday for Bear has everything the marvelous TOON Books have to offer.About the Book Emerging readers can celebrate curmudgeonly Bear and the irrepressible Mouse in this laugh-out-loud companion to the bestselling A Visitor for Bear. The illustrations are rich and detailed, worthy of any picture book, unlike most beginning to read books which tend to have very basic illustrations. There is the repetition of words and visual clues familiar to beginning to read books, but all of the books in the Candlewick Sparks series feel like something more. How he gets his way and how he makes Bear smile is guaranteed to make readers smile also. In A Birthday for Bear Mouse is back and looking for a party. However, this doesn't mean Bear is no longer a grump. When Mouse keeps his promise, Bear finds himself unwilling to let his visitor leave so quickly and a friendship is born. Popping up in the most surprising places, Mouse manages to wear Bear down, agreeing to leave as soon as he has had one cup.

Mouse is cold and hungry and only wants a spot of tea. Bear is a solitary sort who does not want company. In A Visitor for Bear, the stage is set for the give and take that plays out again in A Birthday for Bear.

A birthday for bear by bonny becker