K-Gr 1-In the first book, Little Bear's grandfather is cleaning his attic, and the activity provides both a teaching moment and an opportunity to explore the contents of his sea chest. Little Bear learns about the Marco Polo, and, caught up in the moment, the two share an imaginary trip in the boat, followed by a visit to the nearby docked vessel. Water-washed ink drawings display a series of family vignettes and Little Bear's activities while appropriate simple sentences and childlike questioning keep the pages turning. The two travel around the world through their imaginations, visiting a polar bear, panda, and koala "bear." In the second book, the uncomplicated, practical soul introduced in Detective Dinosaur (1996) and Detective Dinosaur Lost and Found (1998, both HarperCollins) returns in a trio of investigations. As he follows instructions literally, "undercover work" translates to wearing layers of clothes, mysterious blobs under his naptime blanket terrify the Detective, and sunny skies bring an unexpected, puzzling dousing. The dino's genial expressions projected in colorful pen-and-ink and watercolor cartoons follow the action. Conversation and onomatopoeia spice up the text, presented in large font. The good detective always ends a chapter "Case Closed." His innocent confusion creates entertaining problems with simple solutions. Solid additions to easy-reader collections.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services Plano ISD, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

With the same gentle and slightly mysterious atmosphere that marked Minarik's five original Little Bear stories (published between 1957 and 1968), this new entry has Little Bear visiting his grandparents and hearing tales of their lives long ago. Grandfather was a sea captain, who retired to build a house -- and a life -- with Grandmother. But he entertains Little Bear with the idea that there are other bears (polar bears, koala bears) around the globe, shows him his old captain's uniform and Grandmother's wedding dress, and takes Little Bear to see his ship, the Marco Polo, in dry dock down by the river. The bond between Little Bear and his grandparents is strong, with his impetuous imagination encouraged and protected by their affection. Doubleday's line-and-watercolor illustrations don't have the finished elegance of Sendak's unmistakable original portraits of Little Bear's family, but they have a warmth and sincerity of their own. roger Sutton (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Minarik revives her classic beginning-reader series with this new title about Little Bear, in which the cub spends a day with his grandparents, whom readers may recall from Little Bear's Visit (1961). Alongside Grandfather Bear, he explores the attic of their home and hears about his grandfather's courtship of Grandmother Bear and his days as a sea captain. Discussing what it would be like to sail around the world in Grandpa's boat, the Marco Polo, they talk of seeing polar bears at the North Pole, pandas in China and koalas in Australia. After visiting the docked boat, Grandpa assures Little Bear, "There's no place like home," and they enjoy a snack of Grandmother's cookies. While this is a charming story that will surely attract readers due to the characters' established place in the field, Doubleday's accompanying art lacks the personality and polish of Sendak's work in the titles from the 1950s and '60s. The pictures do, however, go a long way in supporting the controlled text, which will aid new readers in decoding and enjoying it. (Early reader. 4-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.