Reviews for Something's wrong! (J/Book)
Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
A chatty bear causes a stir in the forest by leaving the house in an embarrassing pair of white underwear. When Jeff the bear runs down a checklist of things to do before leaving the cottage in the morning, one big item is forgotten: taking off the tighty whities that Grandma sent. As Jeff encounters pal after pal (none of whom wear underwear, nor indeed any human clothing), the bear has a sense that something is very wrong. But what could it be? Finally, after many animals break the fourth wall to ask readers, “Why is that bear wearing underwear?” Jeff goes to a rabbit friend named Anders who explains. And while there’s a huge moment of awkwardness when all the animals show up, Anders and Jeff are able to seize the moment. The underpinnings of this charming picture book are already strong (underwear is inherently funny), and the babbling small talk Jeff engages in while trying to figure out what’s wrong adds a lot to the increasingly silly situation (“Am I right or am I right? I think I’m right”). John’s text perfectly pitches the jokes to a strong conclusion at just the right pace while Kraan’s energetic illustrations, with hardly a straight line in the entire book, add to the sense of ultimately harmless cringe. The book is also a clever primer on handling embarrassment and how it can sometimes be dealt with by simply changing the perspective of what’s happening. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.) This underwear affair is wise, witty, and just brief enough. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
A chatty bear causes a stir in the forest by leaving the house in an embarrassing pair of white underwear.When Jeff the bear runs down a checklist of things to do before leaving the cottage in the morning, one big item is forgotten: taking off the tighty whities that Grandma sent. As Jeff encounters pal after pal (none of whom wear underwear, nor indeed any human clothing), the bear has a sense that something is very wrong. But what could it be? Finally, after many animals break the fourth wall to ask readers, Why is that bear wearing underwear? Jeff goes to a rabbit friend named Anders who explains. And while theres a huge moment of awkwardness when all the animals show up, Anders and Jeff are able to seize the moment. The underpinnings of this charming picture book are already strong (underwear is inherently funny), and the babbling small talk Jeff engages in while trying to figure out whats wrong adds a lot to the increasingly silly situation (Am I right or am I right? I think Im right). Johns text perfectly pitches the jokes to a strong conclusion at just the right pace while Kraans energetic illustrations, with hardly a straight line in the entire book, add to the sense of ultimately harmless cringe. The book is also a clever primer on handling embarrassment and how it can sometimes be dealt with by simply changing the perspective of whats happening. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)This underwear affair is wise, witty, and just brief enough. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Jeff the bear leaves his house with the nagging feeling that he's forgotten something. When he encounters a deer and frog at a stream, their shocked expressions lead him to make some awkward small talk before proceeding on. At this point, the deer is the first (of many) to break the fourth wall and ask readers, "Why is that bear wearing underwear?" After similar encounters with several more animals, Jeff hurries to see his "trusted friend" Anders the hare, who is finally honest with him. Embarrassment ensues once Jeff realizes he's still wearing his gift from his grandma, especially when the forest animals reappear to stare at Jeff in a series of wordless spreads. While Anders may not think it necessary for his friend to wear undies ("You're covered in fur from head to toe, man!"), he lends support by wearing them, too ("This is the new THING, people! The new STYLE!"). The two trendsetters in John's tale of friendship ("Good friends are like good underwear") and acceptance ("You're just fine as you are") are endearing: Jeff with all his nervous rambling that primes this story for read-alouds and Anders with his personality-rich comments ("Oh boy. Should I tell him?...Why am I even asking you? Who are you?"). The text's repetition and direct address will appeal to preschoolers, as will the humorous images of Jeff (and eventually the other animals) in snug tighty-whities. Kraan's textured illustrations in earthy greens and browns accentuate the natural setting and, along with the animals' expressive body language, help reinforce the delightful silliness of the situation. (c) Copyright 2023. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
