The lovable, bumbling bear from A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree returns in the lickety-split, rhyming picture book A Bear, a Fish, and a Fishy Wish by Daniel Bernstrom and illustrated by Brandon James Scott.
A broad-nosed, long-clawed bear lounges heels-over-head between the boughs of a tree. The spare text identifies the protagonist: "a bear." Readers meet an adorable mostly-eyes salmon baby on the next page as it swims through sunlit, weed-forested waters: "a fish." Soon the bear spies the unaware fish cresting the surface of the river, and the sighting spawns "a fishy wish" for a slippery snack. The bear swims, runs, and uses stealth to nab the leaping fish from the air, but a mighty wave filled with the fish's glaring kinfolk ("fish galore") sweeps the hunter into the river. When the bear emerges to find the fish out of water and helpless, a war between hunger and compassion brings a surprising and humorous conclusion.
Scott's digitally rendered illustrations convey a sense of movement both in the characters and the rushing water, and Bernstrom's light, rhyming narrative bounds along with equal liveliness. Bear and fish have wonderfully expressive faces that imbue the simple story with plenty of emotion as the bear learns one should be careful what one wishes for. A Bear, a Fish, and a Fishy Wish should appeal to readers who love fast, funny stories, as well as fans of the previous book who want to see what the hungry, hapless bear has gotten up to. --Jaclyn Fulwood, youth services manager, Allen County Public Library