In his second book, the star of Bossy Bear is still barking commands: "GIMME THAT! GIMME THOSE!" When his best friend, Turtle, starts copying his obnoxious attitude, Bossy Bear begins modeling better behavior to "set a good example." Minimal text on bright backgrounds allows the message to be heard as loud and clear as Bossy himself. The quirky, bubble-eyed characters are endearing. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

PreS-In this second book about Bossy Bear, his admiring best friend, Turtle, has decided to act just like him, which gives Bear pause when he discovers that he doesn't much like Turtle's aggressive ways. Word balloons show the little creature shouting, "'Mine!' 'Gimme!' 'Do this!!!' 'Do that!' 'Now.'" Bossy Bear decides to set a good example and the situation is resolved in a satisfying way. Vibrant cartoon figures outlined in black are set on colorful backgrounds to create a clean, eye-catching look. With spare sentences, bold art, and a good message, this looks to be a winner for the preschool set.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The caped and crowned little autocrat introduced in Bossy Bear (2007) hasn't quite completed his reform. It's still "GIMME THAT!" "GIMME THOSE!" "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"until, that is, his best friend Turtle (who also sports a crown, though a smaller one) starts imitating him. Bossy Bear has an embarrassed epiphany that spurs him to model better behavior (though still of a bossy sort: "HAVE A GOOD MORNING!" "SLEEP TIGHT! DON'T LET THE BEDBUGS BITE!"), which, unrealistically or not, quickly has its intended effect on Turtle. Horvath pairs emphatic single lines of text to simply drawn views of these two preschooler stand-ins, who are usually suspended on monochromatic backgrounds. Stripped down, stingy of side detail and definitely purposive, the episode still delivers its message with a light touch. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

With extreme minimalism, Horvath instills a valuable lesson in a humorous fashion. Bossy Bear, as his name might suggest, likes things a certain way his way. As he goes about bossing others around and demanding what he wants when he wants it, his best friend, Turtle, picks up on his bad behavior. Bossy Bear sees the error of his ways and tries to set a better example for Turtle by being polite and friendly. The characters are depicted with clean, basic shape-based drawings somewhat reminiscent of Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie books set against bold, monocolored backgrounds, with only a few words of text per page. They're a cute bunch of oddball critters, with wide eyes and expressive mouths grimacing, smirking, and frowning are rarely so simple yet effective. They show a striking resemblance to the wildly popular stuffed Uglydolls, which Horvath himself had a hand in creating. The moral that behavior is contagious makes this a good choice for character education, and the recognizable and modern aesthetic ensures that it will be an appealing lesson going down.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2009 Booklist