There, There

by Tim Beiser, Bill Slavin (Illustrator)

Overview

For fans of Penguin Problems and A Birthday for Bear, the story of a whiny rabbit pushing a patient bear to the end of his tether and learning a lesson in looking on the bright side.

Do you ever feel like everything is terrible? Like nothing is ever right and you just want to hide under your pillow? Well Rabbit does, and he's not shy about sharing it. He whines, he complains, he moans, he grumps... until Bear has had enough and decides it's time for Rabbit to learn to appreciate what he has. Using nothing but the lowly common earthworm as an example, he teaches Rabbit a lesson about taking things for granted. Something the worm knows all about...

Written in charming verse and featuring a delightfully domestic bear and a very surly rabbit, There, There is a fantastic tongue-in-cheek riff on the idea that "it could be worse..."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770497528
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	06/06/2017
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

TIM BEISER was born on April Fools' Day in Los Angeles, California. After earning a degree in Economics at Rocky Mountain College in Montana, he moved to New York City where he spent sixteen years as a playwright and science fiction short-story writer. He is the author of Bradley McGogg, the Very Fine Frog, Miss Mousie's Blind Date, both nominated for a Governor General's Award, Canada's highest literary honor, and Little Chicken Duck. Tim is the proud dad of twins Rowan and Daniel, and he and his family split their time between Toronto, Canada, and Grignan, France. The author lives in Toronto, Ontario, and Grignan, France.

BILL SLAVIN has illustrated over one hundred books for children, including the acclaimed Stanley's Party by Linda Bailey, It's a Snap! George Eastman's First Photograph by Monica Kulling and Little Chicken Duck by Tim Beiser. He is also the author and illustrator of Who Broke the Teapot!? and the Elephants Never Forget series. Among his many honors, he has won the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award, the Blue Spruce Award, the California Young Reader Medal and the Zena Sutherland Award for Children's Literature. Bill lives near Millbrook, Ontario.Bill Slavin lives in Millbrook, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

PRAISE FOR There, There:

"Slavin's bright illustrations nicely capture the expressive emotions of the two critter cronies. Funny and spirited." —Kirkus Reviews

"There, There may prove to be an enjoyable book to read together on a rainy day, all while learning about the importance of gratefulness." —Resource Links

"A possible addition to social emotional learning collections, this selection effortlessly delivers a view of acceptable and unacceptable behavior; a humorous option for most libraries." —School Library Journal

PRAISE FOR TIM BEISER'S Bradley McGogg, the Very Fine Frog:

"The story is told in a lyrical style which will definitely appeal to young children. The rhythm, rhyme, and vivid descriptions make the story come to life...." —Highly Recommended from CM Magazine

"The sophisticated rhyming text is accompanied by subdued watercolor... Each animal's face is imbued with character and personality." —School Library Journal

"Picky eaters... will have their refined tastes affirmed - nay, celebrated - in Bradley McGogg, the Very Fine Frog. ... The rhyming verse is so fresh and the illustrations so full of personality and emotion that we quickly forget the slight premise and simply enjoy Brad's neighbourhood kitchen crawl. ... Tim Beiser does a bang-up job, using all the tricks of the trade, such as enjambment, sound echoes, and internal rhyme. ..." —Feature Review from Quill & Quire

"A very fine frog indeed...." —The Globe and Mail

"Bradley McGogg is indeed a very fine frog and young readers will delight in his foolish antics." —Resource Links

From the Publisher

04/01/2017
K-Gr 2—Hare loudly makes his displeasure and boredom known to his large friend Bear with fits of temper and repeated complaints (framed in rhyming verse) during a rainy summer afternoon. He's trapped inside with a leaking roof, he can't enjoy "games and picnics in the sun," and, worst of all, the carrots are moldy. "There, there," commiserates busy Bear. He makes every attempt to calm his friend with a chess match, muffins, and tea, but when all else fails, Bear finally loses patience and drags his friend outside to prove a point: it's far better to count blessings than complain, for "if you think your life is grim, just be glad that you're not [a worm]." In this cautionary tale for young whiners in training, cartoonish acrylic illustrations use varied perspectives to depict the details of the pair's warm, cozy den; an unrelenting pelting rain across thickly textured backgrounds; and a range of emotions for both Bear and Hare. Expressions of kindly concern, anger, pain, and frustration pass across faces as Hare vents without stop and Bear repeatedly tries to console him. VERDICT A possible addition to social emotional learning collections, this selection effortlessly delivers a view of acceptable and unacceptable behavior; a humorous option for most libraries.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

School Library Journal

2017-03-06
A long, hard rainstorm traps two anthropomorphic forest friends inside their den, testing their friendship. A hare and a bear, longtime pals, are waiting out a summer rainstorm. Before long, the hare is getting a little squirrely; his face takes on a strained expression. Busy cooking, the bear expresses his sympathy repeatedly, always ending with a "There, there." In a rage, the hare kicks a chair, stubs his toe, and weeps uncontrollably. The bear begins to lose his patience. When the hare complains about the moldy carrots, the bear declares that he's "had it up to HERE!" He grabs the hare and drags him out into the rain. Getting down on all fours in the mud, he picks up an earthworm. "If you think your life is grim, / Just be glad that you're not him," the bear announces. "When he meets his own rear end, / He mistakes it for a friend!" The hare sits quietly and stares at the poor blind wrinkled little creature, and he thinks, "Things aren't so bad." He apologizes, and the bear takes his hand and walks him back home. And, miraculously, the rain has stopped. Everyone is happy…except the insulted earthworm! Beiser's verse is substantial if a bit shaggy, and his story is a nice reminder to short-tempered children. Slavin's bright illustrations nicely capture the expressive emotions of the two critter cronies. Funny and spirited. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews