A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton

Bear is a loner and has a big sign on his front door saying "No visitors allowed."  One day a mouse arrives and bear can't get rid of him.  He appears in the cupboard, in the bread drawer, in the fridge, etc.  Finally bear is worn out and invites the mouse in for a visit.  They soon become friends and bear rips up the sign on his door.  My favorite part of the book is when bear randomly says that he can do a handstand. 

 

Donald Has a Difficulty by Peter F. Neumeyer and Edward Gorey

This book reminds me of emo-ness for some reason.  Donald is a kid who gets a splinter in his leg and his mom uses tweezers to pull it out.  She tells him to think of other things like markets and battles.  As she is removing the splinter, Donald is fine.  Then she uses a cotton ball to wipe his wound and he freaks out in pain.  They both laugh at how it didn't hurt when she pulled the splinter out but Donald starts screaming when she wipes the wound.  I would have liked to meet Gorey.  I imagine a solemn artist drawing weird black and white pics.  I'm sure we would have been great friends.

 

In a Blue Room by Jim Averbeck

This book is alright.  A little girl wants everything to be blue colored and her mom keeps bringing in things that aren't.  Eventually the lights go out and her room looks blue in the light.  This book felt poetic.  I hate poetry, unless of course it's funny and rhymes.

 

Big and Bad by Etienne Delessert

This guy has won a bunch of illustrating awards but I don't quite understand why.  I thought they were just OK.  Anyway, about the story.  This one is a take on The Three Little Pigs, only a bunch of different animals help the pigs build their homes.  And for some reason some of the text are different colors.  I didn't really get why.

 

Tin Lizzie by Allan Drummond

Grandpa takes his grandkids for a ride in his old Model T and they philosophise about the cause and effect of so many motor vehicles.  This is a good "green" book with nice pictures.

 

Bebe Goes to the Beach by Susan Middleton Elya

Bilingual English Spanish book about a baby at the beach.  Sadly I didn't know all the words.  This is a very cute book and I'd love to see something like this in Chinese.  The pictures are very nice and bright too.