Bear and Bird: The Secret and Other Stories (Candlewick Sparks) by Jarvis
Series: Bear and Bird
Published by Candlewick on 10/7/25
ISBN: 1536247405
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Horses, Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship
Format: Early Reader
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Bear and Bird are best friends readers will see in these four short stories how funny it can be when two friends sometimes accidentally mix things up.  The misunderstandings are easy to make and readers will no doubt see the subtle humor in the various situations.  For example, in the last story, “The Tree”, Bear and Bird are playing hide and seek and find a great hiding place in a tree…only to realize after hours of waiting together that Bear forgot the rules of the game and that no one was looking for them.  Bird only got a tiny bit mad, but they had such a fun time together in the tree that they decided to spend the rest of the day there.

This book is a Sparks Book for new readers and would be great for kids who are building their reading stamina.  Some of the pages are full text, but there is a lot of space between the lines.  The table of contents lets readers know that there are four Bear and Bird stories in this book.  The pages are off white and most of the illustrations are a muted color.  There are pops of color to add visual interest and the expressive illustrations of the character are sure to draw readers into the story.  This book is one of many Bear and Bird stories by Jarvis, which do not need to be read in any particular order.  They would be a great addition to collections serving new readers.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library