POLAR BEAR'S UNDERWEAR'

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This is incredibly embarrassing but . . . Polar Bear has lost his underwear. Where could it be? Is that Polar Bear's underwear? On the page is a die-cut pair of underwear. Turn the page, and the wearer is revealed! No, that isn't Polar Bear's underwear. It's Zebra's underwear--the pair has colorful stripes. What about that itty bitty pair? Maybe . . . actually, no--it's Butterfly's, who is flying high in a mini pair of undies. And so the quest continues. Just when Polar Bear is about to lose hope, his underwear surfaces in a twist that will surprise and delight children and their parents, all while affirming the importance of wearing underwear. Japanese design talents Tupera Tupera's cute and expertly crafted paper-collage creatures will make this novelty picture book an instant and enduring favorite.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

When Polar Bear loses his underwear, his friend Mouse offers to help. Briefs-shaped die-cuts reveal different vividly patterned underwear that could belong to Polar Bear. "This pair has treats all over it. It looks delicious! 'Is this your pair, Polar Bear?' " asks Mouse, opposite a page showcasing yellow briefs decorated with cakes, candies, and snacks. Turning each page reveals the underwear's actual owner-in this case, it's Pig, who blissfully chows down on a doughnut in his undies. After a few more tries, Polar Bear discovers that his pair wasn't really lost-just invisible against his white fur (something sharp-eyed readers may have noticed from the outset). Working in collage, Japanese design firm Tupera Tupera uses a variety of textiles and textures create the chunky animal cast (Squid's polka-dot underwear has holes for all 10 of his legs, while Bunny wears her carrot-themed briefs on her head), giving readers many moments to giggle over. Ages 3-5. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Poor Polar Bear can't find his underwear, and so, with Mouse's help, he walks off in search of his missing undies. In the well-established pattern of "That's Not My..." books, the duo encounter a series of pages with die-cut underpants-shaped windows showing knickers of varying color schemes. Predictably, the undies always belong to some other animal. Each creature's skivvies reflect some characteristic of the owner. Zebra's underwear has colored stripes, Pig's has pictures of doughnuts and French fries, and Butterfly's are covered in flowers. Lively mixed-media collages illustrate the playful text. Young readers will delight in the visual gags; Squid wears a 10-legged pair of panties, and Bunny wears hers on her head. An eight-line song at the end of the book celebrates Polar Bear's underwear and asks readers, "Would you like to wear a pair, too?" VERDICT This silly import from Japan will quickly become a favorite with potty-training tots and fans of underwear humor.-Rachel Anne Mencke, St. Matthew's Parish School, Pacific Palisades, CA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

Clueless Polar Bear has lost his underwear. Helpful Mouse tags along while he looks for it. Right-hand pages include undie-shaped die cuts with colorful patterns peeking through the brown-paper-bag pages: "'Is this your pair, Polar Bear?' Whose underwear is it?" Page turns offer humorous surprises, and the ending--subtly foreshadowed--is preschooler-perfect; there's no way you won't turn back to the beginning. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.