Book Review

Matthew has developed a sudden and intense interest in the book "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?" by Bill Martin Jr. and illustrated by Eric Carle. He pads over to me, holding out "Panda Bear" and squealing with excitement. When I finish reading the book, he promptly reopens it and signs "more, more."

Today, I showed him the book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" by the same author and illustrator. "Panda Bear" and "Brown Bear" are essentially the same story, just with different animals, so I figured that "Brown Bear" would be a big hit. We read both and then Matthew signed "more." As I began to open "Brown Bear," Matthew smacked the book closed and said, "No, NOOOO!" He picked up "Panda Bear" and handed it to me. Again and again this scene repeated itself -- it seems that Matthew views "Brown Bear" as a poor substitute for his beloved "Panda Bear."