'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Wednesday 24 May 2017

Review: That Bear Can't Babysit

Mr and Mrs Burrow have been invited to a party, but they have SEVEN little bunnies and no one wants to babysit.

Well, no one except Bear.

With a few concerns about Bear's abilities, but no other options, Mr and Mrs Burrow reluctantly leave him in charge. But can Bear babysit? 

At first it seems Mr and Mrs Burrow may have been right about Bear's babysitting skills. The bunnies convince Bear to let them read a scary story. They tell him they always cook supper and eat sweets and ice cream and biscuits until they’re sick. 

Not even the bunnies have faith in Bear as a babysitter, but then Bear starts building a ship out of a cardboard box. Bear takes the bunnies on a great adventure, he makes sure all their needs are met and proves he is actually a very good babysitter after all.

This is a fun story about not judging someone before you get to know them, but the message is flawlessly concealed within the story, so it doesn’t come across as an obvious lesson. 

The beautiful, colourful illustrations are a joy to explore and very engaging. The seven cheeky bunnies get up to all sorts of mischief as they try to convince Bear they’re allowed to do things, and it was great fun to follow their shenanigans through the book. 

Recommended for ages three to six, That Bear Can’t Babysit is a fun, engaging and relatable book for children. If your kids have ever experienced the joys of pushing boundaries with a new babysitter, they will get a real giggle out of this book. And if they haven’t, they will enjoy learning tips and tricks for when they do.

Title: That Bear Can't Babysit
Author: Ruth Quayle
Illustrator: Alison Friend
Publisher: Nosy Crow, $24.99
Publication Date: 24 May 2017
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780857638281
For ages: 3 - 6
Type: Picture Book