From Publishers Weekly
During an afternoon nap, Rachael dreams of traveling the world in a makeshift hot air balloon piloted by her teddy bear. Rachael and Captain Sandy narrowly dodge a space shuttle at Cape Canaveral, sail over a French village and the Berlin Wall, and finally land in Moscow, where Sandy's bruin cousin Anatoly performs in the famous Circus. This long-winded story is a contrived and unconvincing fantasy. The text is disjointed--historical facts about Russian landmarks seem out of place; at one point a song, complete with musical notation, is inserted--and hampered by a stiff writing style that is unlikely to appeal to children. Bansemer's paintings show promise in their varying perspectives and toasty warm hues, though some figures are rendered more carefully than others. Unfortunately, the comic bear characters frequently present a jarring contrast in style to the more subdued human portraits. Ages 5-12.
Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
