First Readers Book Review: Rabbit and Bear

I fell in love with Rabbit and Bear pretty much instantly. It was quite different from the other young readers we had gotten, in that there was a lot more to laugh at while we read. I was also really drawn to the artwork and the overall styling of the book. It wasn’t until we got the second one that I realized it was set up to have a distinct single color in the otherwise black and white artwork for each book. We have seen this before in an early chapter book (and in fact reviewed it last week) but the complexity and use of the color here is far superior in terms of aesthetic. At least to me. The artwork is more intricate and the color is used as much to add to the art as it is to be background on certain pages. I could frame the spreads of these books. They’re so pretty. So, combine that with a funny and engaging story, with characters that really stand out, you’ve got something special.

I don’t know if Madeline quite appreciates the differences in the chapter books we read together yet. Most of the external stuff goes over her head or just isn’t necessarily why she likes a book like it is for me. So she doesn’t appreciate the artwork the way I do. Not to say she isn’t engaged by it or doesn’t like it. But she only just turned four and isn’t really breaking down why one art style speaks more to her than another. For now, she just enjoys a well drawn and written story, which this very much is.

I love the complexity of these stories because they actually boil down to very simple ones. A lot is going on, but it all follows a single through-line and is easy to follow along. Usually Rabbit is upset about something, and Bear is there to be the friendly voice of reason and accommodating almost parent-like figure. Rabbit is temperamental and impetuous and on the whole I’d say very relatable to a 4 year old. Bear is kind and patient and clever. The combination is really fun to read.

We are already itching to get our hands on the next book in the series, and we had a lot of fun guessing what the inside color would be while I searched the book online. The first book is set in winter, and the second in spring. We are guessing the third will take place in summer, and we are so ready for it!