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Grin and Bear It

by Leo Landry
Grin and Bear It by Leo Landry; illus. by the author Primary Charlesbridge 48 pp. 7/11 978-1-57091-745-5 $12.95 e-book ed. 978-1-60734-303-5 $9.99
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"Bear had a dream. His dream was to make his friends laugh." But poor Bear has stage fright, and his debut appearance on the Woodland Stage flops. Despondent, Bear goes to the local watering hole, orders a root beer, and says to himself: "What's the use? I'll never tell another joke again." But when hummingbird Emmy, a gifted performer but lousy writer, finds Bear's crumpled-up list of jokes, she perceives its comedic genius and regales the crowd with an impromptu performance. Bear's friends, recognizing his work, introduce the two and thus create a symbiotic partnership between two comedians with different skills. There are as many jokes in this book for newly independent readers as small carrots in a class of first graders' lunch boxes, including puns ("What do little girl cubs wear in their hair? Bear-ettes!") and play with multiple-meaning words ("What do you get when a bear walks through your vegetable garden? Squash!") And, like any good joke, several bear repeating, thus speeding up the reading task. Seven chapters divide the narrative into small segments, while the numerous pencil and watercolor illustrations (both full-page and spot art) clarify the action and add depth to characterization. For example, when Bear appears on stage, his deer-in-the-headlights portrait perfectly complements the alliterative text: "His knees knocked. His paws paused. His fur froze." A honey of a book. Betty Carter
Gr 1—3—All that Bear wants is to make his friends laugh. He decides that he will do a stand-up routine on the local stage. He practices every morning in front of the mirror and finally gains the confidence to book a performance. The only problem is that Bear has stage fright. He ends up feeling humiliated and runs away, only to encounter a little hummingbird that can make his dream come true. The story is divided into seven chapters and has a lot of words on each page. Even fans of Jennifer Jacobson's "Andy Shane" books (Candlewick) or Erica Silverman's "Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa" (Harcourt) may struggle with the text. The concept of having stage fright is something that a lot of children will be able to relate to, but few will be able to solve their problems the way Bear does. The jokes are groaners, similar to the kind you'd find on Popsicle sticks or taffy wrappers, and it's hard to imagine anyone finding them amusing or clever. The illustrations, done in watercolors, are vibrant but not outstanding. Few children will pick this one up for repeated readings.—Lora Van Marel, Orland Park Public Library, IL
"Bear had a dream...to make his friends laugh." But poor Bear has stage fright, and his debut flops. When hummingbird Emmy finds Bear's joke list, she entertains the crowd; a symbiotic partnership begins. Seven chapters divide the narrative into small segments, while numerous pencil and watercolor illustrations (both full-page and spot art) clarify the action and add depth to characterization.
Bear’s secret desire to impress his peers makes him easy to relate to (“He imagined what his friends would say. ‘You’re so funny, Bear,’ Fawn would call. ‘Great jokes!’ Chuck would shout.”), and it makes his stage fright that much more poignant. Framed by white space and hand-drawn borders, Leo Landry’s illustrations are simple, cheerful, and intimate. Golds, pinks, and purples dominate the color palette—except when Bear goes onstage and a bright crimson red joins the gentler pastels. Grin and Bear It distills an important but rarely voiced life lesson: practice doesn’t always make perfect. In those cases, however, people (and bears) have other resources to draw on, such as creativity and teamwork. Bear’s punny jokes have lots of kid appeal. (“What kind of bird works at a construction site? A crane!”)

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