February 1, 2018
A young bear wakes from hibernation with just one thought in mind: honey.He's hungry--it's been months since he's had any--and his surroundings conspire to remind him of honey: the warm, golden light of the sun; the clear, flowing water of a nearby stream; the delicious scent of a blossoming fruit tree. He's not yet 2, and with the persistence of a toddler he returns over and over to the hollow tree where a bee colony lives only to find that it's "too soon for honey." Framed, energetic watercolors show him making do, finding nourishment in grasses, pine cones, and berries as the spring turns to summer. But he keeps returning to the hive only to find that it's still "too soon" and even earning himself a sting on the snoot. " 'Ouch!' (Busy bees don't like to be bothered.)" Stein's figures are gestural, loose, simple lines delineating his protagonist, whose round head and simplified body will foster an easy relationship with young readers. Eventually the bear loses himself in the delights of summer before a buzz reminds him and he is finally able to enjoy the "warm, golden, sweet, clear, slowly flowing, spicy, aromatic, sparkling with sunlight--'Honey!' " Stein appropriately sidesteps the all-too-frequent mistake of depicting the hive as an external, hanging globe--but he also elides the near-total destruction a real bear would likely wreak upon the tree in pursuit of the honey.Sweet as, well, honey, if a bit disingenuous. (Picture book. 3-5)
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Starred review from March 12, 2018
Stein returns to the ursine protagonist and forest setting of his picture book Leaves. After waking up from hibernation, Bear goes on a quest for honey: “spicy, aromatic,/ sparkling with sunlight—Honey!” But it is not yet summer and too early for honey—which Bear learns after sticking his nose into a tree, where busy bees are working, and getting stung. While he waits for honey season to arrive, Bear finds other sources of joy, including frolicking in the rain and under a waterfall. But finally, at the sound of a buzz, Bear goes running to the source: “ ‘Honey!’ Just as good as he’d remembered.” Working in deceptively simple visual vignettes enclosed in rough-edged panels, Stein’s wriggly pen-and-ink lines bring a quality of vitality to the natural features of Bear’s habitat. This gentle outing about waiting and appreciating concludes in autumn, as Bear sits atop a hill, bathed in moonlight, remembering summer and “how good it had been.” Ages 2–5. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House.
July 1, 2018
This follow-up to the author-illustrator's Leaves (2007) may come over a decade later, but it's as if little time has passed: It was his second year, the book opens---and there's ebullient Bear, waking from hibernation and declaring, I'm back! Bear's stomach grumbles, but it's too early in the year for honey. He patiently keeps busy under the fat clouds and hot and still days of spring and early summer, trying his best (but failing) to forget that it's not yet time for his favorite snack. Stein captures Bear's wide-eyed enthusiasm for discovering the natural world around him, as Bear eagerly puts all his senses to work--smelling the warm grass, feeling the sticky sap, playing in the rain, and more. The use of repetition ( it was too soon for honey ) and the steady pacing, which then accelerates once Bear finally hears buzzing bees, make for compelling page-turns. Stein's clean page design and uncluttered compositions keep the focus on the endearing protagonist, who is depicted in relaxed, carefree lines, with warm yellows and greens dominating the pages. Stein's writing is filled with vivid descriptors--gold meadows, bursting berries, slowly flowing and aromatic honey. Any toddler who has ever waited patiently (or not-so-patiently) for something will relate to the sight of Bear racing toward the bees ( Ouch! ). Once single-minded Bear does get the honey, readers can't help but rejoice with him as he delights in it. Simply delicious. julie Danielson
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
July 1, 2018
In this follow-up to Leaves, Bear wakes from hibernation. He patiently keeps busy during spring and early summer, trying his best (but failing) to forget that it's not yet time for his favorite snack: honey. Repetition and steady pacing make for compelling page turns. Stein's uncluttered compositions keep the focus on the endearing protagonist, who is depicted in relaxed, carefree lines, with warm yellows and greens dominating.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from January 1, 2018
PreS-Gr 2-The curious young bear from Leaves returns for "his second year," fresh from hibernation and eager for the taste of honey. Though he can remember it perfectly, "spicy, aromatic, sparkling with sunlight," he soon realizes that it's too early in the season to find any honey. In the meantime, the other delights of spring and summer beckon, and the bear relishes warm grass, bursting berries, and rushing rain as he waits for the telltale buzz that heralds his favorite treat. Highlighting the natural greens and golds of summer, Stein's pen-and-watercolor illustrations are suffused with loose, childlike exuberance, while their relatively small scale (each page is bordered with ample white space) invites a sense of intimacy, drawing readers into the bear's anticipation and eventual satisfaction. Throughout, the art balances the straightforward sensory details of the text, with some actions described and others-such as a well-deserved bee sting on the nose-purely visual ("Busy bees don't like to be bothered."). VERDICT A seasonal read with storytime potential and staying power, Honey is not to be missed.-Rebecca Honeycutt, NoveList, Durham, NC
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