If You Believe In Me

ROSEMARY WELLS the author and illustrator of more than one hundred and twenty books for children, is known for such beloved characters as Max and Ruby, Yoko, Noisy Nora, and Shy Charles. Wells is also the illustrator of several Mother Goose books by Iona Opie and a selection of poems from the A. A. Milne classic When We Were Very Young. Rosemary Wells lives in Connecticut and spends time with her two daughters and five grandchildren. rosemarywells.com

"Positive thinking can work wonders . . . Wells comes through with her usual engaging illustrations. Lively and sweet, they present an endearing, warm adult-child relationship. The message here is commendable: Parents and caregivers should always strive to cheer their little ones on. This volume would make a welcome gift for expectant or new parents to remind them of how important it is that they develop and maintain children's strong self-esteem. Makes a good, reassuring case for positive reinforcement." –Kirkus Reviews"A precious book about a little brown bear, of no stated gender, feeling its way through the world all because of the confidence instilled in it by one of the adults who beams back in almost every page. Written in lightly rhyming verse, the text flips at the end, noting that the sentence "I believe in you" has been a mantra in the little one's entire life. Children will quickly make this book a favorite as the illustrations are inviting and dominate the majority of the page in bright colors with patterned backgrounds. . . . Children will be inspired to read about the exciting things they can do each day if they allow their creativity and confidence to take flight. – VERDICT: Add this book to all collections where Well's books are popular." School Library Journal"The creamy palette and tender, recognizable childhood moments between attentive adult bears and the cub—at the dinner table, taking a walk—fit comfortably alongside other entries in Wells’s oeuvre."–Publishers Weekly"A small bear knows it can do almost anything — from cartwheels to swimming — “when you say/you believe in me.” Wells’ signature illustrations and a warm, easy rhyming narrative present an affirming book on the relationship between a child and their adult."–Reading Rockets