Big Black Bear has a lot to teach your little one about manners - by showing them precisely what not to do! The story is told through rhyming couplets and keeps the reading fun and make it easier to follow along with the plot. Plenty of new words abound, from simpler sound-out words like "wood" and "feet" to more complicated words such as, "apologize" and "Sycamore." The pictures are simple, yet still attention-grabbing due to the contrast between the solid neon-colored backgrounds and Big Black Bear.

This book portrays a wonderful message for any child, as the moral of Big Black Bear is, as Big Black Bear's mother says, to "Mind your manners when you go out to play!" Your child may find some of Big Black Bear's antics humorous, like when he sticks his snout in the jellybean jar and gets stuck, or they may think he is just plain mean to Little Girl. Each page offers an easy segue into talking to your child about manners, bullies, and the golden rule, as Big Black Bear's actions will very likely encourage questions from your child.

When I read this book for the first time to my four-year-old friend, Talmadge, he announced half way through that "Big Black Bear is mean!" He was very happy to see the surprise twist at the end, and that Big Black Bear ultimately did the right thing. We talked about how nice it was that Little Girl forgave Big Black Bear, and Talmadge agreed that he would have forgiven the bear too. I really appreciate the good morals presented in this book.

--Audra