Three Bears in a Boat

Starred review from February 24, 2014
Soman, co-creator of the bestselling Ladybug Girl series, makes his first solo effort, one that gives his artwork plenty of opportunities to shine. Dash, Theo, and Charlie, three young bears, have broken their mother’s treasured blue shell in an attempt to reach the honey jar on the mantel. Rather than confess (they’re “Afraid of their mama, who, after all, was a bear”), they conspire to replace the shell before she gets home, setting off boldly to search for one in their sailboat. Their journey allows Soman to paint both comic vignettes (the bears meet a dory called “Melville” loaded with dogged-looking whalers and a harpoon) and breathtaking sea scenes as the bears get tossed by the huge green waves of a storm, meet some whales, and, in one particularly beautiful spread, sail along a glittering trail of light on the ocean waves. Soman manages to suggest the gentle colors and textures of old color lithography, giving the pages the feeling of a dog-eared vintage find. Although the artwork draws most of the attention, the understated writing and steady pacing offer solid support. Ages 3–5.

Starred review from April 1, 2014
Taking a break from Ladybug Girl, Soman uses his watercolors to paint a playful tale of responsibility. When Dash, Charlie and Theo--three sibling bears growing up by the sea--break their mother's treasured blue seashell while attempting to get into the honey pot, they don't 'fess up. They instead sail away in their boat, thinking maybe they can find another shell to replace the broken one before their mother gets home. An old, "salty bear" advises them to sail to a faraway island, but when they get there, there's no shell. A sudden storm, conveyed in a brilliant page turn, helps the quarreling bears realize both their common vulnerability and their culpability, and they sail home, finding a blue shell on their own beach. They apologize to Mama Bear, offering the replacement shell. She forgives them, of course, but with a twist that will make readers smile as they remember another naughty adventurer and his "still hot" dinner. Filled with illustrations that insert lighthearted visual nods to classic books (a boat named Melville is filled with Moby Dick-ish bears, and a raft carries Huckleberry Finn-like bears), this tale is a treat for both eye and ear. Humorous and intelligent--and with watercolor seascapes so luminous that readers will want to jump in--this is a book to be treasured for years to come. (Picture book. 2-8)

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Starred review from April 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 1-Breaking a prized blue seashell while their mother is away and knowing they'll be in big trouble, three mischievous bears set out to sea to find a replacement. The plot is simple, yet the bears don't find what they're looking for immediately. They search, fight with one another, and even get caught in the middle of a storm. Their adventures will keep readers interested, making the story a great read-aloud, and the mother bear will leave readers with an ending that will appease parents everywhere. The gorgeous, bright and detailed illustrations are a perfect fit for the text. A first purchase for all.-Brooke Rasche, La Crosse Public Library, WI

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