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There is no denying that the pictures are gorgeous, but the subtlety of tone and the idea of fear will be lost on even the most advanced of toddlers. Instead, they see a rather bland picture book. The very young will be drawn to the contrasting black and white elements, but once a child starts to be drawn to colours, you may find that this book sits on the shelf waiting to be read again by mother and not child. This is not helped that the story is essentially a year in the life of some bears and there is no real plot.
Using a children's book to create a mood piece is a brave move by Weaver and she should be commended for having a go. You have to label this book like [[Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak]], as a book that is perhaps loved by the adult, but actually scares the child a little. ''Little One'' may seem poignant to you, but will be a little too imposing for some children. It is still a valid buy as a lovely book for an adult to read, but perhaps it fails slightly to capture a child's point of view.
A very similar sentiment can be found in [[Your Hand in My Hand by Mark Sperring and Britta Teckentrup]], whilst a nice family adventure that a child can enjoy is [[Clangers: The Brilliant Surprise by Daniel Postgate]].