Hasty Judgements: Bear and Bee by Sergio Ruzzier

Bear wakes up from hibernation, hankering for honey.

Heading out of his den, he spots what looks to be a beehive ahead. Aha! So far, so good!

Good news! The creature sitting on top of the hive seems friendly.

But where there is a honey hive, there are sure to be bees. And Bear knows something about bees.

Bees are monstrous, with huge teeth and long, curved claws. And he hopes he never meets one!

He queries the critter on the beehive and describes what the dreaded bees look like. The fellow seems amused and turns the questions back on Bear.

"YOU ARE BIG. YOU HAVE LARGE TEETH. YOU HAVE SHARP CLAWS!"

"UH, OH!" SAID BEAR.

"I AM A BEE!"

But in Sergio Ruzzier's brand-new Bear and Bee (Hyperion, 2013), Bear's bee-liefs are changed when he meets up with an actual bee who is eager to make a beeline for some honey to share with her new friend. This is a gentle cautionary tale for the youngest listeners with an easy-going message about pre-judging a  potential new friend.

Sergio Ruzzier's soft, curvy pastel drawings are as pleasing here as his already familiar picture books,   his just-published  Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? and his illustrations for Eve Bunting's Tweak Tweak.