A Bear and His Boy

A Bear and His Boy

By Sean Bryan

Illustrations by Tom Murphy

Arcade Publishing

Published 2007, 2011

Rhyming texts are nothing out of the ordinary, but this one stands out because ever line rhymes with the lead bear’s name, Mack. Mack wakes up one morning with a boy on his back. Why? No excuse is given, so we just go along with the story. They do jumping jacks, eat flapjacks, spend time in the library stacks, and …well, you get the idea.

I had my doubts about how well this slight plot would be received during preschool storytime, but I decided to try it anyway. The kids loved it! They laughed with increasing fervor as each “ack” rhyme popped up.

Part of what makes this book a success is the simple, pleasing illustrations. Simple ink outlines are filled in with brown and a soft yellow. The composition of each page is designed expertly and each scene has continuity with the preceding image. They fit, they relate and they extend the idea provided in the text.

So be like Mack,

if this book you lack,

put on some slacks,

go buy it and come right back,

and you will attack,

this book about Mack,

with a boy on his back.