ALA Booklist

Little Bella is a poetry-writing rat. Bean is a fashion-conscious rat. It's hard to see how they can be best friends when one wants to think about rivers and moons, and the other wants to think about hats. Words like flow, gurgle, and silver are put down on Bella's pages of poems, but even as she demands peace and quiet to write, she knows she's missing out on fun with her friend. But Bean's not one to hold a grudge, and when invited by Bella to sit under the stars and listen to poems, she's happy to oblige d thrilled when one of the verses is about her. The story could be a tad shorter and the art might have had a few more amusing details, but this rodent duo is a good example of how opposites attract and can improve each other's lives. The artwork uses rich shades of gold, teal, and sea green as backgrounds for the very personable rats. A nice starting point for a discussion of friendship.

Horn Book (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Engrossed in writing poetry, mouse Bella peevishly turns away Bean. However, thoughts of her irrepressible pal keep creeping in. She seeks Bean out, and they write a poem together: "One blanket / holds two friends / calm and cozy..." Digitally painted graphite pencil illustrations, delicate but lively, accompany this story of how friendship can enrich creativity and vice versa.

Kirkus Reviews

Bella, a poet, and Bean, a creative busybody, are best friends. Bean constantly interrupts Bella from "thinking of words" and composing poems, demanding that Bella look at her new hat and cute toes or help her plant a bush. "My," says Bean, "Aren't we grumpy." Bean pesters Bella to leave her writing, but Bella resists until evening, when she begins to write about her friend. There are fine examples of metaphor, simile and wordplay scattered throughout: "The sky poured stars like sugar." Eventually the twin themes of poetry and friendship unite as Bella and Bean collaborate on "a poem about us." The two mice are wholly goofy-looking, with skinny legs and tails, thick whiskers and prominent teeth, and their personalities come across as stubborn and unappealing. The lessons about the process of writing and the compromises and joys of friendship overwhelm the slight story. Despite some lovely images and language play, the story doesn't quite succeed. (Picture book. 5-9)

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

Bella is a moody, obsessed poet: “Bonnets, daisies, windows, toes—/ Secrets hide in sky, in rose,” she writes. Her best friend (and fellow mouse), Bean, is an impulsive bundle of energy, eager to show off her new striped stocking cap embellished with two daisies, and annoying Bella with her interruptions. What starts off looking like a tale of mismatched friends turns out to be, instead, a splendidly accessible exploration of the poetic process as Bella finds Bean’s words seeping into her work. Leitjen (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Hugging Hour!, reviewed above) draws readers in immediately with her offbeat whimsy. Bella, for example, is first glimpsed through the window of her house, a fairytale concoction of tiny bricks, shingles and turrets nestled among the roots of a tree, with paper lanterns festooned just beyond. Letters, words and images dance about the final pages as the two friends together compose a poem that proclaims their eternal bond. Ages 4–8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Feb.)