Click!

As morning breaks over a snowy landscape, a little cub eagerly starts the day. And in a snow-covered cabin, a small hunter bounces on the great hunter's bed as he too gets ready for a big adventure. But the moment this delightful parallel story progresses, the reader sees that the "hunters" are armed with cameras only, as they look for an opportunity to take a picture from a safe distance.

But little bears and little hunters have a way of wandering off. And even though their mothers take care to protect the young, it isn't long before bear and boy find themselves face to face. Then, CLICK, the little hunter gets his shot before the two go their separate ways to find their mothers again.

A rhythmic fantasy for all young adventurers ready to explore, Click! captures just the right balance of gentle humor and comforting warmth.

Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-Reminiscent of Robert McCloskey's Blueberries for Sal (Viking, 1948), this simple picture book follows the parallel adventures of and encounter between a polar bear cub and a young photographer. The full-page paintings are paired to mirror the two youngsters throughout the story: "Under a blanket of snow,/a great bear sleeps,/and a small bear dreams/close by his mother's side." On the opposite page, "Hushed in a snow-covered house,/a great hunter sleeps,/and a small hunter dreams/close by his mother's side." Subsequent illustrations take the action outdoors, showing the bear and cub walking, and the mother and son snowmobiling. Then each child runs off after a gull. They both slide down a slope and meet face to face. The boy "clicks" his camera and captures his prey. The mothers wait and worry until the youngsters return. Night falls, and the book ends as it began. Children will enjoy the soft, realistic watercolors and recognize the energy and joy of life shared by the characters. Beder captures the spirit of the encounter particularly well in the spread where they meet eye to eye. Through the artwork, youngsters will also see the affection each mother has for her offspring. The text has a similar soft and loving style. The verses enhance the pictorial story line, making this a lovely book to share one-on-one or with a group.-Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Poet and storyteller Shutta Crum has published a number of picture books for children, including Who Took My Hairy Toe, Fox and Fluff, and All on a Sleepy Night. Shutta lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she has been a youth librarian for over twenty years.

Artist John Beder is the illustrator of Mama Loves to Mambo, Mole and Shrew the Whole Year Through, and Grizzly Pete and the Ghosts. He has also created art for movies, animation, and greeting cards. John lives in Comox, British Columbia.