Bear Has a Belly Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
“The images are detailed—one stunning picture even depicts the tiny insects stuck to a frog’s tongue midlick. The kids portrayed are diverse in terms of race and ability. The repeated refrain of “I do too!” invites readers to pick up the rhythm and to reflect on their own body parts. The book closes with a note about the importance of movement and body positivity for a child’s growth and development along with a list of suggested activities to try together. The format, repetition, and neutral observations make this a refreshing title among body books for toddlers and preschoolers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A welcome message of appreciation for human (and animal!) bodies.”
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Booklist
“Whittingham’s book for very young children has a repetitive text…Each clear, full-color photograph shows one of nine animals on the left side of the page; on the right is a smaller picture of a child revealing their corresponding body part along with the words “I do too!”…At the book’s conclusion, five simple activities, which use the text for inspiration, are suggested for playtime. This entertaining activity book will work well for one-on-one sharing and as a toddler storytime selection, since it encourages children to shout out the refrain while pointing to the body part being named. Due to the repetition, this title could also serve as a beginning reader for slightly older children.”
Youth Services Book Review ★ Starred Review
“Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5….What a great book about body parts for the young child! Sharp, vivid closeup photographs of animals and kids demonstrate that they both have ears, eyes, a nose, etc. Simple, sing-song text invites the reader to interact with the book….Animals shown are familiar to little kids, such as a rabbit, a squirrel or a bear, and the kids are a nicely diverse crew, with different skin colors, races, and abilities. The book is larger than a standard board book, which would make it perfect for story time.”
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Children’s Literature
“Little ones will quickly connect to these full-page, up-close photographs of adorable animals and diverse young children. Toddlers and preschoolers will love the repetition of simple text and finding similarities and differences between their physics attributes and that of these gorgeous animals. This is a perfect gift or addition to a toddler or preschool classroom….What a benefit this book will be to read aloud with your little one and connect them to animals and other children in our world….Reviewer Rating: 5”
School Library Journal, Fuse 8
“It would take a soul blacker than mine to resist a cover like this….This is a body parts book where you find out about a portion of an animal’s anatomy and then see a human with that part as well. And, naturally, when reading this in a lapsit or in a storytime you can make sure the toddlers are pointing to their own faces or hands or ears or what have you. As charming as its cover implies.”
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CM Magazine
“In Bear Has a Belly, Jane Whittingham uses beautiful side-by-side photographs of animals and children with their having something in common. Fox has a nose… do you? (Yes!) Frog has a tongue… do you? (Yes!). This wildlife themed exploration of bodies and connection will likely delight the youngest readers among us…Children can point to their own bodies, experiment with sounds, and notice other connections between the animals and the children pictured.
Overall, Bear Has a Belly is a great book with many tools for families and readers to explore on their reading journey. Highly Recommended”
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YA Books Central
“This was a darling book filled with vibrant photographs of animals and children. This book is perfect for building a vocabulary of body parts and animals for young children or English language learners…I appreciate the suggested activities at the end for how parents can extend learning after reading this story…Overall, this book was very cute and made me want to get up and move just like the book demonstrated.
Overall rating 5.0″
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Storytime with Stephanie
“I love how Jane Whittingham compares the body parts that animals and humans have in common. Each two page spread features a lyrical, repeating poem about one part of the body. There are photos of the animal’s body part as well as a photo of a child using the same body part….The repeating text on each page allows the youngest readers to join in the story and will allow them to access the book independently at an earlier age plus who can resist the pictures of the cutest little animals and children!
It’s a Toddler Tough book design so the cover is thick and plush, making for easy wipe downs and the pages are card stock so should stand up to even the most aggressive readers. Also, like all Big, Little Concept Books, there is helpful back matter for parents and educators to use this book in a thoughtful way to extend the learning.”
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Sal’s Fiction Addiction
“In another of her outstanding books for very young children, Jane Whittingham turns her attention to body parts and their comparisons to nine familiar animals. Repetitive text and bright full-color photographs are ideal for upping the interest while sharing this informative book time and again….Perfect for lap reading in the beginning; it won’t be long until a slightly older child will be reading it independently. Such fun!…The overall design of the book is very appealing. The soft, puffy cover encourages touching and has a pleasant feel for little ones. The sturdy pages allow for many readings. If this is your first Jane Whittingham book, be on the lookout for more….You will not be disappointed.”
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The International Educator
“Bear Has a Belly by Jane Wittingham uses gorgeous photos to show how animals and children are similar….This beautifully executed board book will make children familiar with wildlife, with names of body parts and also create a deeper awareness of our connectedness with nature.”
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Book Time
“Bear a has a belly, a soft, round belly, while owl has eyes, big round eyes….In the Parental Guide, author Jane Whittingham offers tips and tricks to make this “toddler tough” picture book from Pajama Press interactive, including playing a game of Simon Says or noticing similar body parts on a pet…”
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Kids Book Buzz
“This adorable book is perfect for young readers who are learning their body parts….Each animal is adorable, and who doesn’t like cuddly animals? The real-life pictures of animals are sure to keep readers engaged in this book….The pages are very thick and super durable, making this a perfect book for young readers who are still learning to turn paper pages without ripping them, like my sister. This book is sure to be a favorite with young readers.
Reviewed By: Liam – Age 10”
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