Bella & Bean

This sweet and powerful book made me cry at my desk! Bella and Bean are two friends; Bella is a "poet" with great aspirations, looking for inspiration, needing to write. Bean is her dear friend who just wants Bella to come and play. What Bella doesn't realize is that Bean is offering her inspiration, and that sometimes, just being with your friend is the most important thing in the world. Through her decision to go and just "be" with Bean, Bella creates some of her best poetry, and their friendship flourishes as a result. I bought this book for my soon-to-be grandchild, and I hope we enjoy it for a long time to come! Bravo, Rebecca and Aileen. Words and pictures are endlessly charming!

I fell in love with Bella and Bean! I bought this book because my daughter's name is Bella and I collect books with her name. This is the sweet story of two mice who are quite different. Bella is a poet focused on her writing and is often too busy to take time for the little things while Bean is a fun, free-spirit. In the end we see that they bring out the best in each other and they are the perfect pair. The pictures are beautiful and the story is delightful! It is also the perfect introduction to poetry and figurative language.

We got Bella & Bean as a gift a little over a week ago, and already it has entered heavy rotation on the bedtime reading list, knocking Ezra Jack Keats down to second place and bumping the Max & Ruby books down to third. Literary, literate, graceful, whimsical but never sticky sweet, funny, warm, a treat for the eyes and ears. My 2 1/2 year old says thumbs up, way up, and I'm mildly worried that I will have to spend the time between now and her birthday tracking down a stripey hat with bobbing daisies just like Bean's.

This is a delightful story about friendship that shows young readers how those who have very different interests can still appreciate and enjoy each other. Many may see themselves as either a Bella or a Bean. Whatever the case, the lesson is very clear. Bella is a poet. She feels she needs time to be alone and think, but Bean keeps tapping on her window ledge and interrupting her. "Poets need peace and quiet," Bella says to Bean. Disappointed at not getting any response from her friend, Bean mutters, ""Peace and quiet with a pinch of grump." Bean returns again to invite Bella to go to Spoon Pond and help plant a snow bush. Bella repeats that she doesn't have time, and then writes," "Beautiful snow bush, Loveliest I've seen, This is my wish: Bloom wild for Bean." She posts her poem on the bulletin board next to Bean's picture. Eventually the two friends do get together and decide to write a poem about themselves. After all, friendship is much more important than who likes to write and who likes to play. Bella and Bean are brought to joyous life by the luminous illustrations of Aileen Leijten. - Gail Cooke

I have to admit I was sad when I heard Rebecca Kai Dotlich's next book was a prose picture book--she's one of my very favorite poets, and I want more, more, more poetry from her! But one read of Bella & Bean (ill. by Aileen Leitjen), and I fell in love. Word-hungry Bella and action-hungry Bean are two mice friends who, despite some tussling, make a great pair. And check out the gorgeous poem that ends this adorable prose picture book: Bella & Bean's Poem One blanket holds two friends calm and cozy at the edge of a pond. The moon looks like a clock in the sky with the big hand on Forever.