Rebekah Raye

Charlie always took good care of his two pet geese, providing them with a safe, enclosed area to graze, and their own pool. Every evening, he made sure they were bedded down in their shed, protected from the wild animals that lived in the nearby forest. But when a hungry black bear breaks into the storage shed late one spring night, gorging himself on birdseed, Charlie wonders how he can protect his birds, especially when he learns that the bear has also been into one neighbor's compost pile, and another's bird-feeder. Should the game warden be called, and the bear relocated? Or, as one neighbor suggests, should it be shot...?

As Charlie (and through him, Rekekah Raye) notes in the poster he hangs up, if there's a bear in your backyard, "The bear isn't the problem - you are!" Bear-ly There is an engaging story of how one boy and his family resolve their community's bear problem, and also offers concrete suggestions for others facing a similar situation. Cleaning off grills, as soon as they have been used, taking down bird-feeders in the summer, and a number of other effective precautions are suggested, through Charlie's proactive poster. Entertaining and educational, with beautiful pictures, this is a winner! I intend to look for more by this author/illustrator!… (meer)

A little gray squirrel searches for a place to sleep in this charming bedtime story by Maine artist Rebekah Raye, who also illustrated Allen Sockabasin's Thanks To The Animals, as well as her own more recent book, Bear-ly There. From a cozy bear's den, to a branch thick with hanging bats, every sleeping place the squirrel investigates seems to be taken, until finally, an abandoned woodpecker's nest provides "the very best bed..."

With a simple text that is full of motion - rabbits go "hop, hop, hopping," the squirrel climbs "up, up, up" - and lovely watercolor illustrations that really make the animals come alive, The Very Best Bed would make a wonderful read-aloud tale - particularly for children who have trouble settling down for the night. Like squirrel, hopefully they can be led to their very own "very best bed."… (meer)

Little Kid Reaction: We read this book a lot ... the boys requested it! My children loved this book, and wanted to read it every night. They really enjoyed seeing all the animals in their natural habitat, and trying to remember the names of all the animals.

Big Kid Reaction: As a biology major, I appreciated the exposure my children were getting to seeing the animals in each of their natural habitats. My son was so proud when he talked about the owl being "nocturnal" (relating the book to his learning in preschool about nocturnal animals). And I also appreciated giving my children an opportunity to discuss that not every habitat is right for everyone -- that, in general, sometimes there is no "right way," there is no "best bed," because everyone has different needs, different ways of doing things. The illustrations are wonderful, as well. The combination of the water color with black pen outlines and details is wonderfully executed. The pictures are realistic yet sweet, gentle, and beautiful.

Pros: This wonderfully illustrated book offers a sweet bedtime story, as well as nature-based learning.

To read our full review, go to The Reading Tub®.… (meer)