ALA Booklist (Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

With his sharp claws and ferocious teeth, Bear is known as the biggest, bravest animal in the forest. He scares the other woodland creatures, but is there anything that can frighten Bear himself? In her charming debut, author-illustrator Katakawa answers this question as four forest inhabitants x, Mouse, Snake, and Spider y to scare the unflappable bear. After several funny, failed attempts leave the smaller critters at wits' end, Bear admits the one thing that scares him very much: manju cake, a sweet treat that the other creatures have been enjoying without him. But can they actually scare him with this new information? The answer comes with a fun surprise, along with a lesson about friendship, bullying, and bravery. This lighthearted tale is a twist on a classic story from the Japanese oral tradition of rakugo, making for a delightful read-aloud. Mixed-media illustrations add energy to the excitement, and the delectable subject may have children demanding a manju cake before the end.

Kirkus Reviews

Four friends take turns trying to scare Bear.Mouse, Fox, Snake, and Spider love manju cake, a Japanese steamed bun with sweet filling. As they're about to enjoy a manju feast, Bear thumps by. Seeing as Bear is the biggest and bravest animal around, the four friends decide to scare him. Fox goes first, baring his sharp teeth, but Bear just flashes his teeth back. Spider, Snake, and Mouse follow with their tricks, but nothing can scare Bear. Finally, Bear says only one thing scares him: manju cakes. While Bear hides in his cave at the very thought, the four friends attempt to scare Bear one last time—but Bear plays the best trick of all. Katakawa's debut picture book is a funny tale of silly scare tactics and tricks. Based on a classic Japanese rakugo tale called "Manju Kowai," Katakawa's telling emphasizes cute animals and a one-line lesson that sharing may be better than scaring. The friendly, cartoon illustrations are bold and lively. Using digital drawing techniques, Katakawa adds movement and depth to the images as well as small details (Snake's spectacles, Mouse's overalls, Spider's web-written dialogue) that add fun and context to the short text.A fun twist on a tale from Japanese oral storytelling tradition, great for reading aloud. (Picture book. 4-8)

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

Katakawa makes a spirited debut, employing a panoply of visual styles. As she explains in her author-s note, the story is based on -Manju Kowai- (-Scared of Buns-) a classic from rakugo, the Japanese storytelling tradition. Mouse, Snake, Spider, and Fox are just sitting down for tea when Bear imperiously thumps through the forest. At Mouse-s suggestion, the friends decide to -scare Bear,- but they fail miserably (Mouse is a total washout at delivering a commanding -Boo!-). Then Bear reveals the one thing he fears: manju cake, the Japanese bun stuffed with sweet filling. -Don-t even mention it!- Bear says, and as the smaller creatures look on in amazement, he covers his eyes and quakes with fear before skulking off to his cave. The smaller creatures promptly hurl all their manju cakes into the cave (Snake knocks one in with its head, soccer-style) and wait for the inevitable surrender. Bear emerges, patting his belly, smacking his lips, and looking anything but frightened. -It-s scary how much I love manju cake,- he says. Yes, the big guy wins this one, but readers should be tickled by Bear-s willingness to play the fool for the sake of a yummy treat. Ages 4-8. Agent: Rachel Orr, Prospect Agency. (July)