ALA Booklist (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

The two furry friends from You Are (Not) Small (2014) and That's (Not) Mine (2015) here contemplate their fears while awaiting a roller coaster ride. They admit their dread of snakes, hairy spiders, hot lava, fried ants, and aliens, and are alarmed to discover that their seatmate on the Loop of Doom is a serpent. The ride is turbulent and frightening as expected, but it's also exhilarating, and all three readily agree to do it again. Kang's succinct text sticks to story basics ("Like what?' Like . . . snakes!' Snakes?' Yes. They are scary!'"), allowing Weyant's ink-and-watercolor illustrations to add context and nuance to the tale. The cartoon-style artwork is cheerful and uncluttered, making good use of white space, easy-to-read facial expressions, and motion lines. Here the characters cooperate with each other to solve their problem, rather than resorting to quibbling or reverse psychology as they did earlier. Perfect for toddler story hours or one-on-one sharing, this will also be popular with emergent readers.

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

Two bears psych themselves up to ride a roller coaster by listing things that are scarier: snakes, spiders, hot lava...yikes, a roller coaster with a snake! Happily, the snake makes a good ride companion; together they decide that sometimes it's fun to be scared. Simple dialogue-and-sound-effects text, easy-to-parse cartoon illustrations, and clean design make this funny story accessible for preschoolers almost ready for easy readers.

Kirkus Reviews

What can scare two bears?The two bear buddies from You Are (Not) Small (2014) and That's (Not) Mine (2015) return for another adventure. Big brown bear and small purple bear engage in a face-to-face dialogue about fears and bravery. Observant readers will soon find visual clues as to what exactly the object of their concern is: a roller coaster. Perhaps other things are more scary, say the bears, such as a "pan of fried ants!" No…it is the roller coaster, they agree—"With a SNAKE!" A truly wild and terrifying ride for the three (two bears plus one snake) follows, and their facial expressions perfectly reveal the very satisfying results (for two bears minus one snake, who is clearly already a roller-coaster aficionado) of the first ride: a second. Short, declarative sentences and a large font on white space make this both an entertaining read-aloud and read-alone for emerging readers. Weyant's art, rendered in ink and watercolor, is appealing and makes excellent use of the large space. A deft foray into facing fears and overcoming them—told with both understanding and humor. (Picture book. 3-6)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

The bearish purple and gold stars of You Are (Not) Small and That-s (Not) Mine confront the terrors of a roller-coaster in their third picture book. Tiny riders can be spotted flying off the rails in the background, but in line, the animals accuse each other of being scared while compiling a list of truly scary things: -A pan of fried ants! An alien with pink eyes and furry teeth!- But as the animals face the Loop of Doom head on-with a -scary- snake riding with them, no less-Kang and Weyant-s message couldn-t be clearer: a little fright can be a lot of fun. Ages 3-7. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Mar.)

School Library Journal (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

PreS-Gr 1Two unnamed bearlike creatures, a small purple one and a larger brown one, discuss their fears. The smaller of the two accuses his big friend of being scared, but the brown creature denies it and suggests that it is the small one who is really afraid. Both try to minimize their fears as they approach a roller coaster. The little purple one says that there are things more scary than this roller coaster, such as a tub full of spiders or snakes. Then the roller coaster stops for them, and, to make matters worse, there is a snake riding on it. Yikes. The three creatures cling to one another and admit that they really are scared as the coaster dips and bends. The final image suggests that being scared is OK, even fun, as the trio get ready for a second ride. The text is minimal and easy to read. The design makes use of lots of white space, with big, two-page illustrations. Children will not be distracted by details in the picturesthe focus is on the emotions. Big, blocky letters holler at readers, making the noise of thumping hearts and whooshing coasters part of the background for the shouting friends. The cartoonish visuals and simple text balance each other well. VERDICT This appealing read-aloud is a good place to start a conversation about being afraid and how we sometimes enjoy the adrenaline rush of overcoming a little fear. Recommended for one-on-one and small group sharing.Mary Hazelton, formerly at Warren &; Waldoboro Elementary Schools, ME