From School Library Journal
PreSchool-As the sun rises, a teddy bear rouses a sleeping toddler: "Wake up, Baby. Let's go and see the world." While heading outdoors, they pass a family of cats and invite them along. When the kittens ask, "Will there be trees to climb?" they are assured that there will be trees and "much, much more." Eventually, puppies, frogs, ducks, and a hen and her chicks traipse along behind the pair. As the day progresses, they pass through woods and fields of wheat and flowers, and finally climb a hill where "all the wide world was before them." The book ends with a foldout spread that shows all of the travelers silhouetted against rolling hills with the moon smiling down on them. The simple, poetic text flows perfectly, and is accompanied by soft pastel-and-watercolor illustrations. From the light blues of the early morning to the blazing yellows of midday to the twilight shades of the final scene, the paintings reveal a serene and uncluttered world. A lovely book for reading aloud to small groups or for sharing one on one.
Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PreS. Teddy and Baby set out to see the world, inviting a variety of creatures to join them. The kittens ask, "Will there be trees to climb?" The puppies wonder, "Will there be fields to run in?" The frog asks, "Will there be a warm rock to rest on?" and so on. Teddy and Baby's answer is always "Yes," with the gradually growing menagerie of companions pictured together on a gatefold that reveals the moon and stars looking back at them: "It was wonderful." Toddlers will be charmed by Teddy and Baby's friendship (the child and the bear are the same size), and like the surprise of the gatefold. The illustrations, in watercolor and colored pencil, display Foreman's familiar soft-edged images and his pastel palette, in this case, with a lot of sunny yellow and blue. A gentle story conveying a quiet wonder that opens a window to the world.
Julie CumminsCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
