afro8921's review against another edition
3.0
The duck is amazingly clueless and funny in this picturebook. I'm not sure Bear and Duck could be classified as friends, but it's still a cute book.
msgabbythelibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
A review on Goodreads said this book did not have much of a point. I found myself agreeing with them. That doesn't mean I didn't like it--I liked it a lot! But if you are looking for a lesson, a moral, anything...you won't find one.
Mismatched neighbors Duck and Bear have very different reactions to the snow that has fallen. And as you might imagine, it doesn't bode well when one of them gets sick!
I have had great success with this book. But that's because I do character voices. I have turned Duck into a combo of Daffy Duck and Woody Woodpecker. I feel like I spit all over the place but the kids are in stitches. So my desires have been achieved!
Mismatched neighbors Duck and Bear have very different reactions to the snow that has fallen. And as you might imagine, it doesn't bode well when one of them gets sick!
I have had great success with this book. But that's because I do character voices. I have turned Duck into a combo of Daffy Duck and Woody Woodpecker. I feel like I spit all over the place but the kids are in stitches. So my desires have been achieved!
idgey's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lagobond's review against another edition
2.0
2 stars. For adults who are prepared to use this book for a discussion with children on topics like relationship boundaries and respect, I would rate it 4-5 stars because my (borrowed) kiddos and I love this kind of humor. But on its own, I don't think this book has a good message for kids.
I read this together with its companions [b:Goodnight Already!|20663085|Goodnight Already!|Jory John|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1458875340l/20663085._SX50_.jpg|39961728], [b:I Love You Already!|25817276|I Love You Already!|Jory John|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1452372986l/25817276._SX50_.jpg|45672812] and [b:Come Home Already!|33913937|Come Home Already!|Jory John|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1512534546l/33913937._SX50_.jpg|54879643], and they're for the most part similar enough that I'm going to summarize my opinion in one review.
What I liked:
The illustrations drew me right in. I absolutely love the punchy colors of the scenery and page backgrounds. Both the author and the illustrator did a fabulous job capturing Duck and Bear's distinct personalities. Every detail in the illustrations is spot-on, including Bear and Duck's body language.
Duck is chipper and energetic, always ready to go, loud, and excitable. Even his wallpaper is busy, and he has a picture of an alarm clock on his wall! He has zero boundaries, and seems incapable of entertaining himself. He's also entirely unobservant when it comes to Bear's moods and needs. Bear exudes quiet contentment while he's in his cozy home or hiking through the forest on his own; but he turns mopey, sluggish, and grumpy when dragged outside by his annoying neighbor. He invariably goes along with Duck's requests, but not without protest. He's obviously quite befuddled by Duck's over-the-top affection for him, and Duck's constant need for busy entertainment. Together they do a beautiful job illustrating the eternal battle between introverts and extroverts.
What I particularly liked is that both characters get their own voice, and neither is portrayed as "wrong" or "better" than the other just for their personality style. I find both of them quite relatable and endearing in their own way. I also like the moments when their interests do converge and they have some good times together, such as when Duck unexpectedly saves Bear's fishing trip in Come Home Already.
What I didn't like:
There seems to be no character development at all. Ideally I would have liked to see Duck learn to understand and respect Bear's need for peace and quiet, at least some of the time. Bear gives plenty of hints and even explicit requests to for Duck to please back off. But in (I Love You Already and All Right Already), Bear gets absolutely steamrolled, and Duck is none the wiser. Also, in All Right Already Duck first forces Bear to "have fun" outside, which ends up making Bear sick; then he forces his "help" on poor Bear, and in the end he manipulates and coerces Bear into returning the favor! This feels abusive, and made us sad.
Bear's main coping strategy is to fantasize about not opening the door, or getting new neighbors, neither of which is obviously a viable solution. (Bear refusing to open the door would also make for a pretty short book, hah!) I would like to see more emphasis on how this relationship could change, for more balance and mutual benefit.
I read this together with its companions [b:Goodnight Already!|20663085|Goodnight Already!|Jory John|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1458875340l/20663085._SX50_.jpg|39961728], [b:I Love You Already!|25817276|I Love You Already!|Jory John|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1452372986l/25817276._SX50_.jpg|45672812] and [b:Come Home Already!|33913937|Come Home Already!|Jory John|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1512534546l/33913937._SX50_.jpg|54879643], and they're for the most part similar enough that I'm going to summarize my opinion in one review.
What I liked:
The illustrations drew me right in. I absolutely love the punchy colors of the scenery and page backgrounds. Both the author and the illustrator did a fabulous job capturing Duck and Bear's distinct personalities. Every detail in the illustrations is spot-on, including Bear and Duck's body language.
Duck is chipper and energetic, always ready to go, loud, and excitable. Even his wallpaper is busy, and he has a picture of an alarm clock on his wall! He has zero boundaries, and seems incapable of entertaining himself. He's also entirely unobservant when it comes to Bear's moods and needs. Bear exudes quiet contentment while he's in his cozy home or hiking through the forest on his own; but he turns mopey, sluggish, and grumpy when dragged outside by his annoying neighbor. He invariably goes along with Duck's requests, but not without protest. He's obviously quite befuddled by Duck's over-the-top affection for him, and Duck's constant need for busy entertainment. Together they do a beautiful job illustrating the eternal battle between introverts and extroverts.
What I particularly liked is that both characters get their own voice, and neither is portrayed as "wrong" or "better" than the other just for their personality style. I find both of them quite relatable and endearing in their own way. I also like the moments when their interests do converge and they have some good times together, such as when Duck unexpectedly saves Bear's fishing trip in Come Home Already.
What I didn't like:
There seems to be no character development at all. Ideally I would have liked to see Duck learn to understand and respect Bear's need for peace and quiet, at least some of the time. Bear gives plenty of hints and even explicit requests to for Duck to please back off. But in (I Love You Already and All Right Already), Bear gets absolutely steamrolled, and Duck is none the wiser. Also, in All Right Already Duck first forces Bear to "have fun" outside, which ends up making Bear sick; then he forces his "help" on poor Bear, and in the end he manipulates and coerces Bear into returning the favor! This feels abusive, and made us sad.
Bear's main coping strategy is to fantasize about not opening the door, or getting new neighbors, neither of which is obviously a viable solution. (Bear refusing to open the door would also make for a pretty short book, hah!) I would like to see more emphasis on how this relationship could change, for more balance and mutual benefit.
5elementknitr's review against another edition
3.0
These would be fun, interactive stories to read to littles, but the annoying friend and the annoyed friend just doesn't sit really well with me. (Probably because I'm the annoying friend.)
afro75's review against another edition
3.0
The duck is amazingly clueless and funny in this picturebook. I'm not sure Bear and Duck could be classified as friends, but it's still a cute book.
calistareads's review against another edition
2.0
I love Jory John for his Bad Seed series. I’m not the biggest fan of Bear and duck. I think Bruce does a better job of this grumpy bear verses happy sidekick.
Duck drags bear out in the snow and bear doesn’t want to do anything. Bear finally gets sick and has to go inside. Bear simply wants to rest, but duck wants to help him. Then duck gets sick and expects bear to take care of them. Poor bear.
Bear needs some better friends is how I see it. I’m not crazy about the story or the artwork really, but the snow looks great.
The nephew thought duck was annoying and that is saying something. He didn’t really like bear either. He didn’t care for the story. He gave this 2 stars because he liked the snowball fight duck had with bear. He loves throwing snowballs. He wanted bear to eat the duck and be done with it.
Duck drags bear out in the snow and bear doesn’t want to do anything. Bear finally gets sick and has to go inside. Bear simply wants to rest, but duck wants to help him. Then duck gets sick and expects bear to take care of them. Poor bear.
Bear needs some better friends is how I see it. I’m not crazy about the story or the artwork really, but the snow looks great.
The nephew thought duck was annoying and that is saying something. He didn’t really like bear either. He didn’t care for the story. He gave this 2 stars because he liked the snowball fight duck had with bear. He loves throwing snowballs. He wanted bear to eat the duck and be done with it.
elizabethgreads's review against another edition
3.0
I haven’t read the other books in this series but now want to.
While not much of a point to the story it was absolutely hilarious. I recommend it to anyone who needs a laugh. The combination of an enthusiastic duck and reserved bear made for a delightful read. The illustrator chose a great color pallet for the story and the pictures really captured the humous tone.
While not much of a point to the story it was absolutely hilarious. I recommend it to anyone who needs a laugh. The combination of an enthusiastic duck and reserved bear made for a delightful read. The illustrator chose a great color pallet for the story and the pictures really captured the humous tone.