Young Larry

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Summary: From Baffin to Bayonne: The Birth of the Cool
Review:
The first in the "Larry" series, this book introduces us to Larry the polar bear and his brother Roy, and tells how he accidentally floated from Baffin Bay to Bayonne, New Jersey. Working as a lifeguard (where), he saves

The dialogue is as dryly humorous as always with Pinkwater:

"One day, I will give you a hit in the head myself," their mother said. "And send you off to take care of yourselves." "Wow, That is harsh," Larry and Roy said. "It is Nature's way," Larry and Roy's mother said. "Well, I don't like it," Larry said. "Nobody is asking you to like it. You are bears. Get used to it."

The bears are eventually left to fend for themselves. Larry discovers the joy of blueberry muffins when humans on a passing boat throw them to the bears. After drifting to Bayonne, New Jersey, Larry works as a lifeguard (it takes a while for people to catch onto the fact that he is a bear) to earn money for more blueberry muffins. He saves Mr. Frobisher, a wealthy man who buys a hotel so that Larry may continue to lifeguard and earn muffins.

This book is not as clever as the two "Larry" books that follow ("At the Hotel Larry" and "Bongo Larry"), but does introduce the bears and the origin of the Larry's blueberry muffin craze. There's too much narrative and not enough of Pinkwater's celebrated wit. Still, completists will want the entire Larry story, and Jill Pinkwater's illustrations are cheery and bright. One can easily read the other two books without having read "Young Larry." However, you might be puzzled by the whole blueberry muffin thing. Having read this review, however, you are now in the know.


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Summary: Phrases from this book have entered our lexicon
Review: Daniel Pinkwater writes charming and understated books for children,and somehow manages to portray the the fantasies realistically as a result. He admits to children the scary aspects of polar bears- they eat stinky food, they're really big, their mothers (and fathers) treat the cubs harshly, but Larry ends up as a likable character anyway. Anyone who asks his brother "so, do you think we can fend?" has a pretty good sense of himself. When Larry arrives in New Jersey (!) he quickly learns from "A Human" what it takes to get what he wants in this new and exciting culture. He settles down to do what needs to be done- earn money to buy muffins. No one seems to think twice about his outer bearsona for some time. Somehow, Daniel Pinkwater pulls that off, and my daughters have never questioned it.

This wasn't the first "Larry" book we owned, but I think it is the most charming of them. They all do have their charms and phrases that stay with you, and my daughters like them all. This would be a good gift for a book loving child because they are not too likely to already own it; it isn't one of the books you can find everywhere, but it's worth looking for.

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Summary: NOT sending a good message to our kids
Review: I thought the story of polar bear cubs finding their way would be cute, but I was appalled at this story. When the mother bear says to her cubs about their father, "He would probably give you a hit in the head and tell you to get lost" - I about fell out of my chair. Then she says, "One day, I will give you a hit in the head myself, and send you off to take care of yourselves." What a terrible message to give to our children! Do you want your kids to think this is what is in store for them?!? And later: "The day finally came when Larry and Roy's mother called them to her, and hit each of them in the head. 'Get lost,' she said. 'Go and fend for yourselves.'" That is terrible! I don't want my kids thinking that is an acceptable way to treat others. Wouldn't you rather provide positive images of compassionate parenting and loving behavior to your children? Maybe the author has serious abandonment issues, I don't know. But he should not be writing children's books.