cover image Brown Bear, White Bear

Brown Bear, White Bear

Svetlana Petrovic, , illus. by Vincent Hardy. . Eerdmans, $17 (26pp) ISBN 978-0-8028-5353-0

Brown Bear and White Bear, “except for their colors... exactly the same,” are each given to young Alice by her grandmothers, who bicker over which bear Alice likes more. Soon the bears themselves are pushing and shoving in an effort to win Alice's love. Forced to play mediator, Alice confines Brown Bear to a high shelf and White Bear to a dark closet, and the bond between the bears is revealed, with Brown Bear carrying out a courageous rescue. First-timer Petrovic creates a morality story about the anguish children cause their parents when they fight, and the love that lies beneath most rivalries. Belgian artist Hardy's polished artwork adds depth to the somewhat plodding tale, with smoky blues and grays that soften the atmosphere of conflict. Inset panels illuminate the bears' secret activities and provide a wealth of domestic detail. While Petrovic leans heavily on description (“[White Bear] pushed Alice's school bag off the desk and watched it land on Brown Bear's head”) rather than letting the illustrations speak, Hardy's work doesn't suffer for it, nor does the book's message. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)