Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Bear unwittingly upends the backyard animals' perfect day in pursuit of its own in this playful tale. A yellow sun emanates heat and cheer as Cat enjoys the daffodils. It's a perfect day for the feline and for Dog, who loves his wading pool. In fact, all the animals in Bert's care are having a perfect day. Close-ups reinforce their contentment, as they happily eat, rest, and play, while wider views offer a visual map of both backyard and story. Enter Bear into this idyllic scene, a hulking mass tromping across the page, blissfully ignorant of his disruption. Smith, with his signature humor, masterfully fills the spreads with Bear's immense scale and endearing antics, capturing each comedic beat with text repetition and expressive illustrations. In the end, it's Bear who has the best day, as the ursine obliviously naps in the sunny flower bed, cool from pool water, full of the others' food—as they cautiously watch from the window. Smith's mixed-media artwork masterfully explores texture and scale, and readers will equally enjoy the picture of the real bear plopped outside his studio examining a bird feeder, much like his protagonist, on the jacket flap. Perfectly funny while offering a chance to discuss perspective. (Picture book. 3-8)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

PreS-Gr 1 An enjoyable afternoon is upended by an unexpected visitor in this charming book by the beloved children's writer and illustrator. It was the perfect day for young Bert, his cat basking in the sunshine, his dog frolicking in a plastic pool, a chickadee enjoying the birdseed—even a squirrel was relishing a corncob. Then a bear lumbers onto the scene and—well, it WAS a perfect day. The simple tale combines the elements of repetition and surprise for a satisfying read that will appeal to young audiences and beginning readers. The gestural illustrations, which have the appearance of paint loosely brushed over a textured surface, expressively capture the mood of each animal. In one image that sums up a spoiled moment, viewers see Bear flailing snow angel—style in the flower bed vacated by Cat—the proverbial uninvited guest who ruined the party. The tale was inspired by a black bear that is a frequent visitor to the artist's studio; a photo of the mischievous creature helping itself to the contents of a bird feeder appears with the author's blurb. VERDICT This gently humorous book is sure to circulate well in any picture book collection. A perfect way to introduce the concept of point of view.— Suzanne LaPierre, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

ALA Booklist (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Two-time Caldecott Honor Book awardee Smith tackles the animal world with gusto and joy as he describes the perfect day in the outdoors. A ginger cat snuggles among the daffodils in the sun, and a dog sits in the cool water of a wading pool. Chickadee enjoys the birdseed in the birdfeeder, while squirrel is content with a dropped corncob. But whoa! A large brown bear arrives to confiscate the corncob with a toothy yellow smile. The bear goes on to swallow all the seeds in the birdfeeder, slurp down all the water in the pool, and scare the cat out of the daffodils. So who got the perfect day? Only the contented bear, asleep in the flower bed. Smith's innovative textured artwork and pen drawings give a visceral feel to the sunny day, and his muted palette complements the variety of surfaces and patterns. The humorous surprise ending will make children squeal as they ponder the concept of perfect. Moral: What is perfect for one may not be for another!

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

In Bert's backyard, Cat enjoys sunshine in the flowerbed: "It was a perfect day for Cat." Bert fills Chickadee's feeder and drops a corncob for Squirrel: perfect days for them, too. But then Bear arrives--whose idea of a perfect day flies in the others' faces. Smith tells the story mostly through textured mixed-media illustrations reflecting each animal's joy-filled frolic.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Bear unwittingly upends the backyard animals' perfect day in pursuit of its own in this playful tale. A yellow sun emanates heat and cheer as Cat enjoys the daffodils. It's a perfect day for the feline and for Dog, who loves his wading pool. In fact, all the animals in Bert's care are having a perfect day. Close-ups reinforce their contentment, as they happily eat, rest, and play, while wider views offer a visual map of both backyard and story. Enter Bear into this idyllic scene, a hulking mass tromping across the page, blissfully ignorant of his disruption. Smith, with his signature humor, masterfully fills the spreads with Bear's immense scale and endearing antics, capturing each comedic beat with text repetition and expressive illustrations. In the end, it's Bear who has the best day, as the ursine obliviously naps in the sunny flower bed, cool from pool water, full of the others' food—as they cautiously watch from the window. Smith's mixed-media artwork masterfully explores texture and scale, and readers will equally enjoy the picture of the real bear plopped outside his studio examining a bird feeder, much like his protagonist, on the jacket flap. Perfectly funny while offering a chance to discuss perspective. (Picture book. 3-8)