{"id":5521,"date":"2022-02-04T07:48:29","date_gmt":"2022-02-04T13:48:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=5521"},"modified":"2022-02-04T07:48:29","modified_gmt":"2022-02-04T13:48:29","slug":"where-is-bina-bear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=5521","title":{"rendered":"Where Is Bina Bear?<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\nIf you\u2019re introverted like me \u2014 that is, big gatherings (especially with people you don\u2019t know) bring you a very real anxiety and zap you of all your energy \u2014 then you will feel seen by Mike Curato\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> newest picture book, Where Is Bina Bear?<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (Henry Holt, January 2022). <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Tiny, a small rabbit, is having a big party. But instead of hanging out with the party-goers, Tiny is searching for Bina, a large purple bear. Where could Bina be? She is doing her best, hanging out alone in other rooms, to blend into the wallpaper, conceal herself underneath a lamp shade, or transform into furniture (or even, at one point, \u201cgroceries\u201d). That\u2019s because Bina doesn\u2019t like parties, and in fact, a tear is shed over the stress the big social scene causes her. Tiny asks, \u201cThen why did you come?\u201d Bina responds with \u201cBecause I like you.\u201d In the end, Tiny’s empathetic response to Bina’s dilemma is just right. <\/p>\n

This is a story that blends humor and poignancy in a seamless way, and its pacing is spot-on. Children will immediately notice that Tiny is on to Bina, even if (while looking for Bina) Tiny likes to respond to statements like \u201cI am a lamp\u201d by saying, \u201cOh. Okay.\u201d But Tiny simply doesn\u2019t give up. In one spread, Bina transforms into a tree, and Tiny just sighs and swings right next to her. When Bina does her best to transform into a chair and blend into the room, Tina sits on her and says, \u201cI miss her.\u201d In the next spread, Bina is a bookshelf, and Tiny sits nearby, pretending to read but keeping some side eye on Bina, who does the same. The review for this one at the Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books<\/em> puts it well: It’s a “refreshing change from the usual ‘the more, the merrier’ message often seen in picture books, and … a useful reminder to respect the boundaries of both shy people and shy bears.”<\/p>\n

Curato\u2019s relaxed, friendly cartoon illustrations feature a palette that pops \u2014 with a saturated purple for Bina, vivid yellows, and soft pinks and greens. Be sure to remove the dustjacket for a surprise, and don\u2019t miss the wonderful dedication: \u201cto someone who is too shy to name.\u201d <\/p>\n

Here are some spreads. …
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\n<\/a>
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“Bina?”<\/em>
(Click spread to enlarge)<\/center>
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\n<\/a>
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“Bina? Is that you?”<\/em>
(Click spread to enlarge)<\/center>
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\n<\/a>
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“… No. I am a table. …”<\/em>
(Click spread to enlarge)<\/center>
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\n<\/a>
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“Excuse me, have you \u2014
I AM NOT BINA. I AM A TREE. …”<\/em>
(Click spread to enlarge)<\/center>
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\n<\/a>
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(Click cover to enlarge)<\/em><\/center>
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* * * * * * *<\/center><\/p>\n

WHERE IS BINA BEAR? Copyright \u00a9 2022 by Mike Curato. Illustrations reproduced by permission of the publisher, Henry Holt, New York.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  If you\u2019re introverted like me \u2014 that is, big gatherings (especially with people you don\u2019t know) bring you a very real anxiety and zap you of all your energy \u2014 then you will feel seen by Mike Curato\u2019s newest picture book, Where Is Bina Bear? (Henry Holt, January 2022).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-picture-books"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5521"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5521\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}