Kuma-Kuma Chan's Home    by Kazue Takahashi Order:  USA  Can Museyon, 2016 (2016) Hardcover    Reviewed by Bob Walch This little picture book with its simple illustrations is a little too low keyed, I fear, and won't attract a lot of young readers. The work of Kazue Yakahashi, a Japanese author/illustrator, may appeal to children in her own country but I fear those same stories won't be as successful here. In this instance a little boy is invited to visit a friend, a bear, and spend the day. The two get together and pretty much nothing happens. They sit together, don't converse much, share food, watch TV and the boy then goes home. This very low-keyed encounter may underscore the depth of their friendship (they are comfortable being with one another) but a young child is not going to get this idea. Trying to explain this concept to a toddler would certainly be a challenge! Granted, although I found the book interesting, I can't really recommend it. I would be curious, though, to see if children in Japanese families here in North America would respond in a positive manner to the characters. I'm assuming that in Japan the audience would receive this story with more enthusiasm and embrace Kuma-Kuma Chan (the bear). Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews