Town Teddy & Country Bear Go Global

K-Gr 3—Bandana Bear and Tuxedo Teddy, two very different cousins, take a world tour of well-known natural and cultural sites. They visit great man-made structures like Machu Picchu, the Eiffel Tower, and the Taj Mahal and explore natural wonders like the Great Barrier Reef and the Arctic Wildlife Refuge. With several more stops along the way, the bears land on six of the seven continents, only missing Antarctica. A spread is devoted to each locale as the storied text transports the bears from one destination to another, with a mix of fact and fiction. Additional information and environmental concerns are found in sidebars. The high-end vocabulary stretches interest level and expands the world for young readers. Uncomplicated illustrations in sharp, clear colors provide a simple, yet recognizable visual of each location. Besides conveying the excitement of travel, the text and pictures capture the bears in a few fun missteps. Readers will be able to follow their travels on a simplified map on the title page. With a good balance of fact and fiction (and a clear delineation of each), this is a good choice for today's global children.—Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH