Rise and Shine!

Publishers Weekly

The same cheery bear family from Warnes's picture-book version of Jesus Loves Me! makes a return engagement in this version of a joyous and child-friendly hymn. Little Bear begins his day with a bath, then sets about designing and constructing a model of the ark, just as "The Lord told Noah to build him an arky, arky." Little Bear and his parents then use a menagerie of toy and real critters, and the gentle rain of a watering can to recreate the well-known Bible story of Noah's journey. In sweet and sunny watercolor scenes-often with wildflowers and sunflowers nearby-these happy ursine characters serve as inviting hosts to the hymn and its biblical inspiration. A musical score appears on the final spread. All ages. (Jan.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Augusta Scattergood

The bear family from Warnes's earlier novel, Jesus Loves Me! returns in this fun rendition of a familiar sing-along. Awakened by a singing rooster, Papa Bear gives the baby a sudsy bath, serenading all the while. Then Papa and Baby build Noah's ark and Baby names the animals coming in by "twosie, twosies." Soft colors, appealingly drawn characters, and the general cuddliness of the bear family make this a good choice for sharing with young children in Sunday school or wherever Bible stories are deemed appropriate. Illustrations such as Mama's single daisy behind her ear add a touch of whimsy, as do all the animals that join in the fun in the end. The musical notation included should prove helpful to anyone unfamiliar with the tune. This is a fine, playful introduction to the Bible story of Noah and the Ark.

Kirkus Reviews

The appealing bears introduced by Warnes in his version of Jesus Loves Me! (2006) return as the main characters in another satisfying treatment of a traditional children's religious song. The cheery, rhyming words to the song retell the story of Noah and the Ark, using the delightfully silly line endings ("twosies" and "kangaroosies") that have made kids in Sunday-school class and summer camp giggle for generations. As in the previous volume, the bear family enjoys simple activities that loosely parallel the structure of the song, with the action taking place in an idyllic forest and a garden full of bright sunflowers. The little bear cub wakes up on the title page, and then he and his dad build a toy ark together. The cub fills the ark with toy animals and pairs of obliging animal friends who continue to interact with the bears as they enjoy some lemonade and a walk through the woods. (music notation) (Picture book. 2-6)