Roly Poly

by Mem Fox, Jane Dyer (Illustrator), Jeanne Birdsall (Photographer)

Overview

Roly Poly the polar bear gets a little brother he did not ask for, in this charming story about sibling rivalry and the bonds of family from the beloved picture book creators of Time for Bed, Mem Fox and Jane Dyer.

Roly Poly the polar bear loves being an only child. His bed is only his. The fish he catches are only his. And he doesn’t have to share his toy walrus tooth with anyone. But then along comes baby Monty. Roly Poly did not ask for a little brother and he certainly does not want one now! What is Roly Poly to do when Monty starts making him share his bed and fish and walrus tooth?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481445566
Publisher:	Beach Lane Books
Publication date:	11/05/2019
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	891,045
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Mem Fox is an educator and international literacy expert, and her many acclaimed picture books for young children include Yoo-Hoo, Ladybug!; Hello Baby!; Baby Bedtime; I’m an Immigrant Too; the bestselling modern classics Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes and Time for Bed; and, for adults, Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever. She lives in Adelaide, Australia. Visit her at MemFox.com.

Jane Dyer is the illustrator of many books for children, including When Mama Comes Home Tonight, Sophie’s Masterpiece by Eileen Spinelli, Roly Poly by Mem Fox, and the New York Times bestselling Cookies series by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. She lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

11/04/2019

In this sprightly offering from the team behind Time for Bed, Roly Poly the polar bear thinks life is “grand”—until the morning he learns that the wee bear sharing his bed is his new brother, Monty: “But I never asked for a baby brother, and I don’t want one now!” His protests form a refrain that grows more emphatic—and provides resonant readaloud opportunities—as he becomes increasingly irked at playful Monty’s presence. Yet when Monty becomes stranded on an ice floe, Roly Poly has a change of heart and emerges a hero, and the two “lived happily ever after. Well.... Mostly.” Fox’s spare, wry text leaves readers ample room to embellish and personalize the story, while the mixed-media illustrations humorously portray the siblings’ interactions. Dyer fashioned the bears using needle felting, a process that involves poking raw wool with a barbed needle to alter the density of its fiber, and Birdsall (the Penderwicks series) helped Dyer stage the scenarios and then photographed them. The resulting, beguiling images have a 3-D quality and authentically capture the jumbled emotions that accompany the arrival of a sibling. Ages 4–8. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 2019-09-15
A young polar bear learns to accept his role of big brother to a new arrival in his family.

Roly Poly is happy being the only child, cherished by his loving parents. He enjoys skating, fishing, and snuggling up in his own cozy bed. On the nightstand next to Roly Poly's bed is a tiny copy of Time for Bed, the beloved 1993 classic by Fox and Dyer, reunited again as a creative team with this heartwarming story. Roly Poly's world is shaken when a little brother named Monty shows up unexpectedly one morning, sleeping right next to Roly Poly. The older brother is annoyed by Monty's attempts to play and is horrified when Monty grabs a freshly caught fish and steals Roly Poly's special walrus tooth. But when Monty's life is in danger as he floats away on an ice floe, Roly Poly realizes he does care for his brother, and he dives into the icy water to save Monty. The dramatic rescue isn't shown in the illustrations, so readers must imagine the specifics of saving Monty for themselves. In a departure from her signature watercolors, Dyer has created charming, needle-felted polar bears as the characters, photographed with tiny accessories in miniature rooms or snowy, outdoor settings. Fox's spare text demonstrates her deep understanding of a youngster's intense emotions, subtly showing Roly Poly's growth from a self-centered toddler to a big brother who can take responsibility for a younger brother he has grown to love.

A new classic for new big brothers and sisters. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews