Bear & Hare—Share!

PreS-K—In this fourth book featuring the two friends, Hare finds it difficult to share with his pal as they walk together. They discover a flower. "Share?" asks Bear. "Mine!" Hare replies. Bear's request to share a balloon results in a tug-of-war, causing the balloon to pop. Hare buys ice cream and declares, "Mine!" Bear isn't fazed by Hare's selfishness, though, and sometimes even responds with a kindly hug. Although Bear isn't with him when he discovers a beehive, Hare tucks into a tasty honeycomb with glee—until a swarm of bees chase him. "There there," says Bear, who reappears with a first-aid kit to soothe his friend's bites. "Share?" says a contrite-looking Hare, holding out a honey jar. The large illustrations, rendered in pencil, watercolor, and crayon, depict large, brown, shaggy-haired Bear and Hare, ears so long they stretch toward the ends of the pages. Rarely do the two animals appear on the same page. The white ground makes the friends stand out and enables readers to focus on their many facial expressions: Bear's smiling anticipatory overtures, his bowed dejection as he sees Hare wrap his arms and ears around a huge ice-cream cone, and his comforting hugs; Hare's sly glances and determination as he refuses to share, and his apologetic expression as he offers some honey. But does he really learn to share? The cover shows the friends tussling over a honey jar. The very last illustration portrays Hare holding that same jar away from Bear. Readers will have to decide.