BOM! went the bear by Nicki Greenberg
Allen and Unwin, 2011, ISBN 9781 74237 671 4
(Ages 4+) Picture book. Bear is proud of his ability with his drum
and loudly plays it around the forest, but when some of the other
animals come along displaying their talents with various
instruments, bear becomes more and more put out, until he walks off
again banging his own drum, leaving the other animals behind him.
Each double page has another animal or group of animals playing a
musical instrument, the pages filled with lively colourful
illustrations, sure to entice younger readers. One page has a group
of frogs playing the xylophone, with the words, Frogs play the
xylophone, Plank, plunk, plink, while the drawings show several
frogs hopping across a xylophone in some disarray, another has the
Lizard on a zither with a zink - a zink zink, with a hapless lizard
trying to play this uncommon instrument. Each double page
invites the reader to join with the rhyming lines, and learn from
the illustrations what these instruments are.
All in all a fun filled book with plenty to laugh about in the
illustrations and rhymes, this book will be well used in pre school
and early childhood groups where the teacher encourages students to
join in. And watch out for the changes in bear's face as he sees
what is happening around him. I just love his confident look on the
first page, becoming less and less confident as the pages are
turned.
Fran Knight