‘Knock Knock’ by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Guy Francis, is a cute picture book about a bear getting prepared for hibernation. He is eager to have some time alone and to not be bothered by the incessant pestering he feels he is encountering when animal after animal knocks on his door with yet another joke to share. His frustration builds and builds while the rest of the animals enjoy the sentiment, each of them coming to Bear’s house with something in hand, from soup to cupcakes to balloons, drinks, and more. As they look toward making Bear’s home ship-shape for his impending hibernation, Bear realizes that, in spite of his being ever-so-tired, his friends are only there to share how much they will miss him while he’s not around for the winter. When he awakes in the spring, feeling as awake and spry as ever, it is sweet to see him visiting his friends in the same way they visited him – with jokes to tell and a smile to share.

Sometimes it just takes a look at what is really going on, without all of the pent-up emotion hiding reality from view, to show what matters. Sauer’s sweet-natured tale of realizing that someone’s true motivation isn’t always to be out to get someone else, despite what the other person might think, is a wake-up call to anyone who has ever misread a person or situation before. The illustrations enhance the storytelling, shedding light on what is happening in the story and making it so that Bear comes to understand that having friends is worth the aggravation once in a while.

You can find ‘Knock Knock’ by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Guy Francis here.

*Review originally posted at YABooksCentral.com*