Bob Is the Biggest, Strongest, and Smartest

PreS-Gr 3–Bob the bear is not quite a bully, but he’s not far off. Reidy has created a character that feels like a throwback to Bill Peet’s Big Bad Bruce with an overconfident creature isolating or flat out annoying his woodland neighbors. But instead of encountering a witch, as in Peet’s work, Bob encounters something better: an example of positive friendship. It comes in the character of Bill the badger who moves in and quickly wins over the other critters. He does so through the power of curiosity. The animals respond to Bill’s questions, and trust their answers matter to him, since he listens deeply to the responses. Of course, Bob the bear is skeptical and more than a little threatened. That is, until he becomes the target of Bill’s uncanny ability to connect. With its punchy illustrations and clever callouts to show inner thoughts and conversations, this book puts forth the notion that respect isn’t given to the loudest or the braggart. Instead, it’s earned through conversation, through respecting differences, and through listening to others. It’s a worthy SEL lesson, as well as one that’s funny via exaggeration and commentary.