School Library Journal Starred Review (Sun May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2005)

PreS-K A friendly, talkative goose endears himself to a contemplative polar bear. On each spread, Bear practices a quiet activity, such as reading, writing, and thinking. And each time, Goose interrupts by asking what he is doing and then taking over the activity. When Bear spends his time thinking, Goose declares, "Thinking makes me hungry." He makes a snack and reads a note that he's written to Bear that describes him as "my splendid friend." Bear is touched by the friendship note and responds by giving Goose a big bear hug. The large format makes the book ideal for group sharing and the oversized text is accessible to beginning readers. The cool palette of the pastel illustrations, consisting of shades of blue and white and touches of violet, sets a quiet, friendly tone, and the animals' priceless expressions tell all. The gentle humor will elicit giggles; Goose's silly statements and Bear's patient responses beg to be read aloud. An ideal book for storytimes about friendship and sharing. Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI

ALA Booklist (Tue Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2005)

Children will recognize their relationships with friends or siblings in this creative, pointed picture book. Polar Bear is reading when Goose comes rushing in, pulls the book from the bear's hand, and begins reading himself. The same thing happens after Polar Bear starts writing. Even more frustrating are Goose's persistent questions about what the bear is thinking. But after hearing a note Goose has written about his splendid friend, Polar Bear realizes that Goose is a splendid friend, too. Bloom gets maximum effect with minimum words, in part because of Goose's energetic dialogue. Equally impressive is the artwork. Using pastels, Bloom presents a rubber-bodied goose and a furry bear (whose every hair is distinguishable), setting their antics against backgrounds of blue that shift from dark to light. Though simply shaped, the animals manage an amazing assortment of positions and expressions as the story plays out. Fun to read aloud, the book will also lead to discussion about friendly (and annoying) behavior.

Horn Book (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2003)

Presented as a journal kept by Seaman, Meriwether Lewis's dog, this first-person account provides a choppy overview of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The writing is weak ("Sacajawea is a mom now"), and the color illustrations have a static quality. The book contains a ribbon bookmark featuring a large cardboard image of Seaman and a recipe for the Native American food pemmican.

Kirkus Reviews

A more perfect union between giggle-inducing but reassuring images and a text of very few words is hard to conjure. The brilliant pastels open on a double-page spread of Goose trotting down a huge hairy mound, which turns out to be Bear, lying on his stomach with a book. "What are you doing? Are you reading?" asks Goose, perched on Bear's head. "I like to read" says Goose, sitting directly in front of Bear's book, and reading to him. Bear takes out his notebook and starts to write, and Goose wants Bear to see him write. Bear, visibly growing increasingly exasperated, is thinking now, and Goose notes that thinking makes him hungry and goes off to make a snack. He returns with a snack, a blanket and a note for Bear, who at this point is trying to hide behind his notebook. "You are my splendid friend," reads Goose's note, and Bear wipes away a tear and wraps Goose in a huge hug before the two sit down to share the snack. Bear's ursine fuzziness against a background of deep blues and Goose's small awkward, overeager self make an adorable contrast. (Picture book. 3-6)