by Moe Zilla

Created on: February 27, 2010

"Zum. Zum buzzz, Zum. Zum. Buzz. Berlioz had been practicing for weeks..."

Berlioz the Bear plays the string bass, and there's a gala ball in the village square where he's joining the orchestra. Unfortunately, his instrument has developed a buzz, and he's worried the dancers will laugh at him. Soon he's got bigger problems, and he may not make it to the village at all. He's in a wagon with the other bear musicians - but now their mule doesn't want to pull them!

But much of this book's charm comes from its intricate illustrations. There's a wonderful drawing of a blue horse-drawn wagon, with all the bears dressed in formal clothing. There's also a wreath of flowers at the front and back of the wagon, which is decorated with paintings of flowers. And there's even flowers by the side of the road, making the picture seem festive and colorful.  But the picture itself is framed with gold curlicues, resembling a wooden frame with carved in flowers!

The fancy border is the trademark of the story's author-illustrator, Jan Brett. She told one interviewer she's been doing it since she was very young, so  "artistically, that's important to me." And in addition, she remembers being a young reader who did not like to be surprised by the ending! So inside the frame, she sometimes tucks smaller illustrations - which reveals scenes coming later in the story!

This time each illustration shows the village animals - as they anticipate the arrival of the bear orchestra. This story also includes lots of animals - which is another of Jan Brett's trademarks. A rooster suggests it can pull the wagon out of its rut - and a cat thinks it can lead the mule by the reins. If a child likes animals, there's lots of animals drawings in this book to enjoy!

The cat is dressed in a fancy vest, and soon there's also a schnauzer in suit with a hat. But each animal is unable to move the mule - even a prancing billy goat and a nearby ox! It's ultimately Berlioz who saves the day - with all the worrying he does about punctuality. He instructs the orchestra to tune their instruments while the wagon is stuck. And they save more time by also putting  on their formal concert tailcoats.

But in the end it's the bee in the bass which stings the mule into action. And it gallops so quickly that the orchestra on time after all. The crowd cheers on their music, especially the bass playing of Berlioz the bear. And when they call for an encore, Berlioz makes a very special dedication.

To the bee that had hidden inside  his bass!

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