Bess and Bella [Hardcover]

Irene Haas (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

On a cold winter afternoon Bess and her doll are having a tea party with melted snow and cookie crumbs, when -- falump! -- a little bird named Bella falls from the sky. Bella offers treats for a proper tea, and a new friendship begins. Little does Bess know that this is just the first of many delightful surprises to come during that afternoon.

Young readers will be charmed by Bess and Bella and enchanted by Irene Haas's beautiful artwork that brings them vividly to life.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3–To add some cheer to a lonesome winter afternoon, Bess and her doll have a party with cookie crumbs and melted snow tea. Suddenly, a bird named Bella lands (FALUMP) on the ground. When invited to tea, Bella opens one of her tiny suitcases and with great aplomb produces babushkas for tablecloths and tasty treats. More fantastical guests arrive, including five firefighting dogs that turn flames into flowers and a mouse family. Eventually, the child is called home and she wraps the bird in a woolly mitten and takes her along. When spring arrives, Bess stands at her window as Bella flies away, and she hears the promise of a new friendship in a child calling up, Hi! Do you want to play? Haass pastel-and-watercolor illustrations on cream-colored paper have a vintage appeal and capture the dreamlike quality of the text. The paintings are expertly composed, balancing bright colors and motion against quiet gray backgrounds, and the detailed scenes will encourage repeated viewing. Children will relate to Besss feelings of loneliness and enjoy her sense of wonder.–Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* PreS-K. In this jewel box of a picture book, as small and intimate in format as Haas' A Summertime Song (1997) was extravagant, the venerable author-artist constructs another dreamlike tale from signature ingredients--chiffonlike watercolors, whimsically clothed animals, and themes of fantastical transformation. No sooner does Bess sigh about loneliness to her doll ("Doesn't it seem there's no one in the world but you and me?") than a migrating bird, Bella, falls "FALUMP" into the yard and coaxes a high-flying spectacle out of a grim, wintry day. Bess marvels at wonder upon wonder, then returns to her house with Bella--who provides cozy companionship until spring arrives, along with the possibility of a new friend. Haas' characteristic smudging of the boundaries between real and imaginary is reflected in her rendering of a realistic, concrete setting for the fanciful escapades: tactile snow clumps on pine fronds, hurricane fencing sags in the background, and storm clouds billow above. Some children will find the gossamer story too ephemeral to hold their attention (abrupt metamorphoses abound, as when canine firefighters douse a burning hat and transform it into a bouquet of flowers). But many imaginative children will pore over the pictures on each small, creamy page and recognize in them their own rich interior landscapes. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (December 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416900136
• ISBN-13: 978-1416900139
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,052,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Top notch watercolors, March 25, 2006

By 

C. Wagner "cecilkunkle" (On the banks of the Wabash far away) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bess and Bella (Hardcover)

Haas' art here compares favorably with her first book "The Maggie B." (1975). I am not sure what the "falump!" business was all about, but the story, whimsical as it is, manages to keep on until it reaches a pleasant resolution. The watercolor (with some pastels) are just top notch. And, if you liked this title, you will really enjoy "The Maggie B."

5.0 out of 5 stars this is a great book!!!, March 8, 2007

By 

Angelisa M. Winemiller "Angel books" (Prescott Valley, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bess and Bella (Hardcover)

very cute book with a cute little story line! loved it!! my 4 yr old and i have read it 10 times already!!

5.0 out of 5 stars a tradition of excellence, January 20, 2006

By 

Christine (Norwell, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bess and Bella (Hardcover)

Irene Haas has been like a family friend for over 30 years. As I did, my children love the "Maggie B" and now have fallen in love with "Bess and Bella." A charming story of a little girl's flight of fancy and the most wonderful illustrations.