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From Horn Book

July 1, 2019
In this sequel to The Bear and the Piano, Hugo, a fiddle-playing dog, leaves his best human friend, retired fiddle player Hector, to join the famous bear on a concert tour. The story of ambition, friendship, hurt, and reconciliation is illustrated with appropriately dramatic, emotion-filled paintings.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From School Library Journal

March 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-The bear from The Bear and The Piano returns in this charming sequel about friendship and perseverance. Hector (the human) and Hugo (the musically gifted dog) live in the shadow of the Bear's success and fame. Hector plays the fiddle on his street every day while his friend Hugo watches with admiration. One day, when a discouraged Hector gives up on his dream and packs his fiddle away, Hugo finds an opportunity to pursue his own passion for music. Eventually, Hugo is invited to join Bear's Big Band and Hector must decide if he can stomach his jealousy and be proud of his friend. Mixed-media illustrations portray a magical and musical city with bright lights and excited faces. The crowds are filled with a diverse collection of humans and full-page spreads of concert halls and vast rooftops immerse readers in a fantastic musical world. The prose depicts Hector's shifting emotions with precision and kindness as he overcomes his jealousy and realizes that more than anything he misses his old friend. The message of friendship and forgiveness will resonate with readers searching for a fantastic and musical story. VERDICT An excellent tale about supporting friends and being happy for them when they succeed.-Laken Hottle, Providence Community Library, RI

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Kirkus

December 15, 2018
Hector, an older white man, and Hugo, a scruffy white dog, have been friends for a very long time.Hector's passion is playing the fiddle, but the times have changed around him. His music doesn't draw much attention these days--the audiences are flocking instead to the ursine virtuoso introduced in The Bear and the Piano (2016). Hector decides to retire. Hugo isn't ready to let go of the music, though, so he picks up Hector's fiddle and starts to play. To Hector's surprise, Hugo is good...very good! Soon Hugo is getting the admiration and opportunity that Hector always dreamed of but never found. He supports his friend yet feels pangs of jealousy when Hugo is invited on tour with the world-famous piano-playing bear. In his jealousy, Hector says some hurtful things he may not be able to take back. By using concrete language to describe Hector's feelings ("Hector's tummy hurt a bit when he saw everyone in the neighborhood nodding along") and behaviors ("Hugo put his head on Hector's knee, but Hector pushed him away"), Litchfield makes real and palpable the abstract concept of jealousy and its consequences. The same emotive tenderness that characterized his earlier debut imbues this sequel. There is much to explore, discuss, and ponder over for adults and children alike.An accessible and enjoyable portrayal of the complexities of friendship, jealousy, and forgiveness. (Picture book. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Horn Book

July 1, 2016
A bear encounters a piano in the forest and learns to play. After he's discovered by humans, he goes to the city and plays sold-out concerts. Eventually, he misses his home and returns to find his bear friends waiting for him. This quiet, satisfying story about accomplishing one's dream and returning home fulfilled is enhanced by dramatic mixed-media illustrations.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Booklist

April 1, 2016
Preschool-G One bright day, a young bear finds something strange in the middle of the forest: a piano. It makes a horrible sound when he touches it, but his curiosity is piqued. Day after day he returns, and as he grows, so does his skill at the instrument. All the other bears in the forest love to come hear him play, and eventually, a father and a daughter hiking in the woods overhear him and convince him to play in the big city. But no matter how much fame and acclaim he getsand the glorious two-page spread of him playing at a Broadway concert suggests a lot of itthe bear still finds himself missing his friends. The story is a fairly standard tale of leaving and returning home, but the mixed-media illustrations are luminous. From the ivy-covered piano in a forest clearing to the stars winking over the city at night, the spreads are highly detailed and lovingly crafted. Young readers will find much to look at in city and forest scenes alike.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

From School Library Journal

March 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-A young bear finds a piano in the middle of the forest and begins to play. Initially turned off by the awful sound, he leaves but soon returns to try again. The bear continues to practice for years and years until he can play like a virtuoso. Not only does his playing give him immense pleasure but the other bears are enchanted as well. When a boy and a girl discover the bear's amazing talent, they convince him to move to the city. Sad to leave his friends but excited to explore another world, he ventures forth and becomes a sensation. After much fame and accolades, the bear realizes that he misses his friends and decides to return home. He is heartsick when he can't find his piano in the woods and assumes they have all forgotten him. Happiness is restored when he learns his friends have kept the piano in the shade to protect it and were eagerly awaiting his return. Litchfield's debut picture book is a visual feast. Using a variety of different techniques and then digitally assembling them, he has produced a story filled with verdant and luminous images that create an enchanting atmosphere. The story encourages young ones to follow their dreams and pursue their unique talents. VERDICT A wonderful addition for all collections.-Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from February 1, 2016
After finding a piano in the woods, a brown bear teaches himself to play (even though he doesn't know what it is, exactly), going on to wow his fellow bears and, later, the world. Newcomer Litchfield explores the life of a musician from several angles: the necessity of practice (after "days and weeks and months of years" of playing, "the sounds that came from the strange thing were beautiful"), the allure of fame, and the loneliness of leaving home, even when one's name and face are plastered across Broadway. The bear achieves stratospheric success (platinum records, sold-out shows), and after he returns to his forest (still wearing a rumpled tuxedo), he discovers that his brethren have been proudly following his career, not resenting his absence. Litchfield's multilayered mixed-media illustrations gracefully portray dappled forest groves, the energy of a packed concert hall, and the simultaneous bustle and solitude of city life. The bear's emotionsâ€"contentment, pride, uncertainty, reliefâ€"are captured with equal skill in a tenderly moving story about embracing one's potential while remembering one's roots. Ages 4â€"7. Agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright Group.

From Kirkus

Starred review from February 1, 2016
In the forest, a little bear discovers an object he's never seen before--a piano. At first the cub isn't sure about the strange device, but over time he comes to love the instrument and the music. The other animals in the bear's forest home delight in his talent, but he dreams of bigger things. When the opportunity comes to play in the city, it's a hard decision, but off he goes, and stardom awaits. The bear becomes famous beyond his wildest dreams. He finds great success, but eventually he comes to miss his home. He returns, nervous that his friends may be angry with him for leaving, but instead he finds the entire forest beaming with pride for all he has accomplished. This is one of those rare books that children can return to again and again through the years, each time finding new meaning appropriate to their varying ages and stages. In the emotive, whimsical illustrations readers will sense the bear's hesitation to leave the forest, his exaltation at playing in grand concert halls, and his longing to return home. The forest seems to sparkle on the page when the bear returns to play for his friends once more. Litchfield's poignant debut picture book celebrates both the wonders of wandering far in pursuit of one's dreams and the sweet comfort of returning home. (Picture book. 4-9)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.