Nov 18, 2011

My Bear Griz


My Bear Griz by Suzanne McGinness

2011

     "My name is Billy and I love bears."  Billy named his bear Griz because he is, of course, a Grizlly Bear.  Together they explore the world, eat peanut-butter-and-honey-sandwiches (much better than PB&J, if you ask me), play hide-and-seek (Billy usually wins that one) and look at the stars.  Griz is great to cuddle up to when you need to take a nap and he's also a great listener, so Billy can tell him all his secrets (like the fact that he's afraid of the dark).  Griz and Billy are best friends. Is Griz a real Grizzly Bear?
     My Bear Griz is a sweet tale of friendship perfect for children 2-6 years old.  The illustrations by McGinness are striking.  There is a great contrast between the size of Griz and the size of the boy, which makes the large bear take over most of the pages.  The illustrations are mixed-media with pen, ink, watercolors, collage (Billy's crow is made out of newspaper cut outs), and digital aplications (imitating a child's handwriting).  There is a mix of text and dialogue bubbles ("handwritten" by Billy) which add interesting details to share during the reading.  My Bear Griz is about creative play and friendship. The final twist in the story, will capture the affections of young readers.  

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