BIG BROWN BEAR'S BIRTHDAY SURPRISE

Harcourt, 2007. 1st Edition 3rd Printing. Hardcover. As New/As New. David McPhail color illustrations. CONDITION: UNREAD, but not quite perfect, 2007 Harcourt hardcover (pictorial boards) & dust jacket (in mylar cover), first edition, 3rd printing. PROBLEM: in the publishing process a drop of glue attached a small area of the back loose end page to the DJ back flap. I have removed it, but the removal is obvious on the end page. The rest of the book is clean and tight. Adorable color illustrations by the Author. CONTENT: To celebrate Big Brown Bear's special day, his friend Rat has planned a lovely picnic on the riverbank. All is going swimmingly, complete with cucumber sandwiches, warm sunshine, and even a surprise gift from Rat. But when Big Brown Bear is suddenly distracted by an empty boat floating past on the river, Rat's plans for the afternoon take a watery turn. Bear forgets his birthday comes on the same day every year, but his friend Rat has not forgotten the special day. Their picnic by a river is interrupted by a rowboat that "must've gotten loose and drifted downstream." Bear and Rat hop in and, after retrieving a hat and a fishing pole from the water, retrieve the fisherman, too. A birthday present and a birthday cake end the eventful day. McPhail divides this very simple story into four chapters, each containing a mild surprise. Much of the story is told in dialogue that will benefit from dramatic reading aloud. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations in this slightly oversize picture book have a restful palette, and the rounded shapes of the bucolic setting mirror the shape of Big Brown Bear. Vocabulary such as adjusting and emerging may challenge children reading independently, but the lazy pleasantness of Bear and Rat's day will be a welcome respite for busy readers. (Ps - Grade 2)