I Love You Already by Jory John and Benji Davies
| I Love You Already by Jory John and Benji Davies | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Sam Tyler
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| Summary: Bear and Duck return and this time our quacky friend wants assurance that he is loved. Can Bear keep Duck quiet long enough to calm him down? Join them on a country walk in this fun to share children's book. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: December 2015 |
| Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9780008165994 | |
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You may have met Bear and Duck before; one is a recluse who just wants to go to sleep, whilst the other is full of energy and just wants to play. The friction between the two may have been resolved by the end of Goodnight Already, but that does not stop Duck from wondering if Bear really likes him or not. Do our best friends really have to tell us they love us, or should we just assume by their actions that they do?
When walking in the countryside, Bear and Duck once more come to an impasse; Bear wants to have a nice leisurely wander and perhaps a nap, whilst Duck would like to partake in a multitude of activities. With Duck being so different to his furry friend, he starts to question their relationship. Thankfully, Bear is at hand to reassure Duck that if he did not love him, he certainly would not hang out with him so much.
The previous outing for the pair has become a favourite in my household as the funny antics of Duck, coupled with the repetitive nature of the story, makes it great fun to read and also easy to follow. Rather than reinvent the wheel, Jory John has stuck to a very similar format for the characters. Indeed, it is almost identical; Duck will nag Bear to do something and Bear will keep saying NO! These sections of the book are particularly popular if you share the roles – you as the squeaky duck and your toddler as the booming bear.
The similarities between the two tomes continue in the illustrations, once again Benji Davies has provided some wonderful pictures, especially those double page spreads that see Duck coming up with crazy ideas of what to do. Because this book is set mostly in the great outdoors it has a slightly lighter feel to its predecessor as the colour palette has more yellows and greens; this might make it slightly more appealing to the very young, but also means it is not quite as good as a winding down book as Goodnight.
Where the two books differ is in the central statement, I Love You Already is about the love between Duck and Bear. To a child loving a friend makes sense, so Duck constantly badgering Bear about works for them, but for an adult it does feel a little full on! What is nice, is how the book resolves, Bear may be a little grumpy, but he does not like to see his friend upset so assures him that they love one another. This is a very good sequel that captures what made the first book so fun to read, but perhaps for next time Jory may need to think about the central conceit. It really needs to make a little more sense – going to sleep one book and then loving someone the next are not really similar things.
Fans of this book should of course check out the original Goodnight Already, whilst another great book with repetitive elements and a bear is Bear Counts by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman.
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You can read more book reviews or buy I Love You Already by Jory John and Benji Davies at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy I Love You Already by Jory John and Benji Davies at Amazon.com.
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