Ready to read another picture book story?
Only three more days in Christie Wild’s PB 14:14 Challenge.
For Day Eleven, how about a book I bought for my grandson when he was a baby? He loved the gentle rhyme and the sweet pictures…and so did I.
Title: Where, Oh Where Is Huggle Buggle Bear?
Author: Katherine Sully
Illustrator: Janet Samuel
Publisher: Parragon Books
Date: 2007
Word Count: 350 estimated
Top Ten Element: Rhyme, Patterns
Opening Lines:
“Where, oh where is Huggle Buggle Bear?
I can’t find him anywhere!
He always hides when it’s time for bed.
He is such a funny bear!
Synopsis
A young child searches for a favorite stuffed bear when it is bedtime. The bear, leading an ever-growing parade of the other stuffed animals, is always just out of sight of the child, but not of the reader. A satisfying ending occurs when the child discovers all of the stuffed toys have already gotten into bed.
The author sets up this delightful pattern on the very first page…the bear is hiding under the table when the child comes looking in the kitchen. All the child sees is his stuffed bunny. When the child turns away to look under the stairs, the bear and the bunny tiptoe away.
Now the child enters the living room, thinking the bear might be with his stuffed elephant (which he is)…by the time he walks into the room, the bear and bunny are hiding and the child only sees his elephant. And, as soon as the child turns around walks away, bear quietly follows (mimicking the child’s gestures), with bunny and elephant in tow. Soon Lamb and Rubadub, the duck are frolicking in the tub…but when the child comes in to check, only the duck is to be found.
As the child brushes his teeth, he says,
“It’s way past Huggle Buggle’s bedtime
And now I’m feeling sad.I don’t want to go to bed without him,
It would make me feel so bad!”
And as he says this, all the stuffed animals are hurrying down the hall to get into bed.
What fun…the clever progressive pattern adds another layer to a sweet bedtime story.
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 
Oh Where, Oh Where is my . . . – That sounds like it came from another PB or song. But I can’t place it. Do you know?
LikeLike
Yup…you hit the nail on the head, Manju…Oh where, oh where has my little dog gone, oh where, oh where can he be. With his ears cut long and his tail cut short, oh where, oh where can he be…so it was a song from way back. And I know there is at least one book with the same name by Iza Trapani…she illustrates lots of the old nursery rhymes and changes them up a bit…she’s got a ton of lovely books like that published. 😉
LikeLike
Yes! Thanks for answering my question, Vivian.
LikeLike
Oh, so sweet! I love the progression from room to room where his collection of ‘lovies’ grow and grow. So glad he gets to sleep with them all in the end!
LikeLike
I know, Juliana…my grandson loved it, too! And it’s really quite clever as the child actually nails it each time…but when he gets to the room, they are hiding again. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Vivian, you find the most precious treasures! Love this idea and the progression of the stuffed animals throughout. Patterns can be so much fun.
LikeLike
All the advice given to writers says avoid basic rhyme, but here is another example that a simple rhyme scheme can do the trick just fine when combined with other elements (with word play and pattern)
LikeLike