Runny Honey. (Tadpoles). Jane Clarke. Illustrated by Tomislav Zlatic. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2008. 24 pp., pbk. & hc., $7.95 (pbk.), $18.36 (RLB). ISBN 978-0-7787-3893-0 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-3862-6 (RLB). Subject Headings: Readers-Honey. Readers-Bears. Kindergarten-grade 2 / Ages 5-7. Review by Sandi Harrison. **** /4

excerpt:

Runny honey on Bear's paws, runny honey in Bear's jaws, runny honey in Bear's tummy. Runny honey, yummy, yummy!

Runny Honey, the story of a bear who adores his honey but does not realize what a sticky situation honey can cause, is a short, sweet, early reader that any youngster will enjoy. It is a rhyming story that would make a fun read-aloud, but children learning to read will also enjoy following along or working out the words on their own. The repetition of the rhymes and the short words used make the story accessible to a learning reader. The illustrations are colourful and lively, and the concluding image of Bear running from his house because, as he discovers, ants love honey, too, is certain to elicit giggles from child readers. Runny Honey is a great addition to any child's bookshelf.

Highly Recommended.

Sandi Harrison, a graduate of the Master of Arts in Children's Literature program at UBC, is currently completing her Bachelor of Education in English Language Arts at the secondary level at Simon Fraser University.

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