MENTOR TEXT REFERRAL...BEARPLANE

I've long been a fan of Deborah Underwood's books. She has written/co-written
36 fiction books and 28 nonfiction books for children.

Among her many titles are lovely, lyrical picture books:

And these rhyming fractured fairytales, too:

When I spotted her new book, BEARPLANE, illustrated by Sam Wedelich, and I learned it was written in rhyme, I had to have it!

Below is a list of wonderful things I discovered while reading BEARPLANE:

1) I love BEARPLANE's clever title. Deborah Underwood took a familiar compound word - airplane - and replaced part of it with a rhyming word to create something new - bearplane - which serves as the inspiration for the fun that follows. This is a trick that I'd like to try myself!

2) BEARPLANE is written in second person, addressing the cub as "you." This invites the reader to identify more closely with the cub, and it also allows the cub to be seen as any gender.

3) The text is sprinkled with lots of bear-related words. Deborah Underwood jumps in with the opening couplet:

Wake up, cub! We can't be late!
It's no time to hibernate.

The bears "weave through maze of bags and fur," spy a food court full of fish, and drink cups of honey, among other things. 

4) An additional story plays out in the illustrations. A grumpy gentlebear (easy to spot in his green fedora) is flying, too. He has difficulties along the way - a stubbed toe, suitcase malfunctions, etc. A slight tension builds when the cub is the source of several problems. But in the end, the cub's generosity and friendliness win him over.

5) The rhymes in the book are spot on, and the meter is consistently smooth, which makes the book a terrific read aloud. A rhyme that made me laugh falls on one of my favorite spreads:

Time to board --
let's show our passes!
"Sir, you'll need to
check those basses."​

On my first read-through, I mispronounced the word "basses" using a long A vowel and wondered why Deborah Underwood (and her editor) would find this non-rhyme acceptable. Then I saw the fish in the bear's arms and laughed at this brilliant choice!

6) The ending extends the story beyond the bearport and bearplane ride. The bear pair's final destination is a family reunion, which adds depth to the story and is sweetly satisfying.

I recommend you check this one out! Read it bearfully, and see which techniques you might use in your own picture book.

​~Patricia Toht