The short, sweet text and adorable illustrations would make this a perfect winter storytime pick.---NetGalley-Librarian
A warm and tender tale for toddlers, perfect for reading while snuggling with your favorite little reader and their favorite fuzzy friend. ---NetGalley-Media
This is a cute little story about having friends that are always there for you. The girl in the story has a little bear stuffed animal and a “big bear” who is actually her dad. The story points out the different things she gains from having each of them in her life. Overall, a sweet and well illustrated story.---Netgalley-Reviewer
Del Mazo’s oversized picture book will appeal to preschoolers. The simple plot and text structure is ideal for young children’s attention span. Bonilla’s illustrations depict the snowy winter background surrounded by shades of aquamarine and light brown colors; the girl is colorfully dressed with a red coat that adds symmetry with a red fox, a ladybug, and a barberry bush. This picture book emphasizes emotional intelligence touching on topics of appreciation, trust, wonder, and happiness. The Spanish edition is a faithful translation of the English version.VERDICT A simple picture book with a surprising ending that will charm readers. Perfect for toddler or preschool storytimes.---School Library Journal
A charming picture book that shows the imagination of a little girl. She loves her little teddy bear but she also has a big bear who watches over her and keeps her safe. With wonderful illustrations and charming text, children will enjoy discovering who exactly is her big bear.---NetGalley-Librarian
It’s a picture book featuring an unreliable narrator. You take the kid at their word when they say they travel with a big bear and a little bear. The reveal of the big bear, however, changes the interpretation of the text. Lovely.
Absolutely darling art and a sweet story combine to make this a really wonderful picture book. ---Goodreads (NetGalley)
The ending gives readers a better idea and underscores the purpose of the story, which is to help children to appreciate different things in different people. Small children will appreciate the pictures as they are all from the child’s point of view.---Childrens Book & Media Reviews
Bonilla’s large-format pencil-and-watercolor illustrations play with perspective and add an element of mystery about big bear to what’s otherwise a straightforward ode to comfort and affection―all that “bears” provide.---Publishers Weekly
In this story available in both English and Spanish, a little girl enjoys a snowy day outside, one hand clutching her small teddy tightly, the other lifted up to reach her big bear’s mittened paw, as she contemplates the love she has for both. Audiences will follow her footprints in the snow alongside Big Bear’s much larger ones, appreciate her sunny outlook, and hopefully recognize the osos grandes and the osos pequeños in their own lives.---Foreword Reviews
This was a cute short story about a child and two bears-to me it was a great metaphor for being a middle sibling. How to let someone take care of you but also how you take care of others. I could see this as a great middle sibling/new baby is coming gift. The illustrations are charming and simple but I felt that I could not look away!---NetGalley-Educator
About the Author
A writer and storyteller who is greatly admired in Spain, Margarita del Mazo has almost twenty books to her name, many of which have been translated into other languages. Among them are the bestsellers Camuñas and The Flock (El rebaño), which won the Madrid Booksellers Guild Award and the Miami Cuatrogatos Foundation Award for best illustrated children’s book.
A renowned illustrator in Spain, Rocio Bonilla’s books have been published in English, French, German, Belgian, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish. Many of her books are bestsellers in Spain and some of them have been published in Italy such as: What Colour is a Kiss?, The Tallest Mountain of Books in the World, and Max and the Superheroes.
