ALA Booklist (Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Breaking in and out of a percussive rhythm, a big purple bear struts his stuff, showing off hip-hop moves and self-invented glides like "Running Bear" and "Robot." He goes down low for a limbo, cross-dresses to shake it in a belly dance, and even calls in the old folks: "One for moms and dads and whatnot? / Grab a friend and do the Foxtrot!" Making a spectacular entrance dressed in "the clothes I use / When I'm in a dancing mood" (i.e., underwear), Bear shakes his ample booty to tunes from an ancient boom box fed by a bunny DJ, takes a break to chow down on a box of donuts, and then dresses up in a tux to tango with a hot-pink lady bear . . . who outlasts him ("Dancing can be tough . . . / I'm pooped!"). Bear doesn't have the moves or the grooves to make this a true storytime showstopper, but there's enough infectious energy to get young audiences clapping along.

Kirkus Reviews

In this sequel to I Am Bear (2015), hip-hop-heavy Bear is in "a dancing mood….‘Bring the music!' "Comedian and rapper Smith, aka "Doc Brown," returns with illustrator Akyüz for some dance-friendly moves styled by their lead character, Bear. The purple ursine parties along with an unnamed, trepidatious squirrel plus a slightly hesitant DJ bunny, who round out the cast of characters. Bear's friends are skittish for all the right reasons, because while Bear sure is multitalented, he's also unpredictable. He performs "Furry Breaking," the "Running Bear," and the "Robot," along with a bit of foxtrot, belly dance, and tango, and he does most of these things in clothes that distinctly resemble underwear even though he assures us that these are "just the clothes I choose / When I'm in a dancing mood." Akyüz's graffiti-esque illustrations again feature strong, black lines, bold colors, and much frenetic action. It ends with Bear succumbing to zzzzzz's on the dance floor, which many readers are sure to do if they expect to keep up with this action-packed picture book.The dance moves make this a fun read that is sure to get you in the groove, if only for a little while. Check it out. (Picture book. 2-5)

School Library Journal (Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2018)

PreS-K In this silly picture book, Bear demonstrates some dance moves. Starting with a take on break dancing, Bear shows off "furry breaking." His other dances include the robot, the foxtrot, the limbo, and belly dancing. The narrative is simple. For example on "furry breaking" text reads, "Put your paws up!/Get 'em shaking./Get up, get down,/hit the ground" Illustrations are bright and colorful. The cover has Bear in front of a large disco ball. Friends Bunny and Squirrel appear throughout. The text and illustrations work well. When Bear eats his box of donuts after belly dancing and hula hooping with a large donut, he wants another snack. So he gobbles up Squirrel. The illustration shows Squirrel's tail hanging out of Bear's mouth. In the next scene it shows Squirrel running away in a blur of frosting. The text says, "Where you off to?/You can't quit yet!/Ah, he's dancing,/that's the Quick step." Bear and Squirrel are still friends. Later in the title, Bear, Bunny, and Squirrel are seen doing the Twist. VERDICT Recommended for public library collections or for preschool dance parties. Robin Sofge, Prince William Public Library System, VA