No Fighting, No Biting! by Else Holmelund Minarik

When the junior gators lose sight of their mother at a log that's too high for them to climb, they wonder how they'll ever make it to the fishing hole.

Alligator, tries to keep them in line, but they continue pawing, biting, and wrestling each other. A pair of little orange gators named Quick-foot and Light-foot won't stop fighting on their way to go fishing. Rosa and Willy are receptive to hearing a story, so she begins. When Rosa accidentally pinches Cousin Joan, the exasperated older girl decides something must be done. Cousin Joan desires quiet to read her book, but Rosa and Willy can't help quarreling on the couch beside her, shoving, pinching, and scolding each other.

Rosa and Willy want to be with Cousin Joan, but it's hard for them to sit still. Sendak's soft-spun talents mesh as endearingly as ever in this uncontrived story about a pair of young siblings seeking their teenage cousin's attention one humdrum day around the house. Author and artist's creative confluence in Little Bear is near legendary, so it's a special treat to see it again in No Fighting, No Biting!, a standalone easy reader that for whatever reason never generated the same buzz as Little Bear. Maurice Sendak receives the lion's share of praise for the series (the Nickelodeon television adaptation was marketed as Maurice Sendak's Little Bear), and the sweet stories of life with family and friends surely wouldn't have had the same impact without his illustrations, but Else Holmelund Minarik knows how to spin a surprising and touching tale. No author/illustrator team is more beloved than Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak, creators of the classic Little Bear easy readers. Looking for a good book? No Fighting, No Biting! by Else Holmelund Minarik with art by Maurice Sendak is a god book for young readers. But this has proven to be a good book for decades so consider sticking with something that works and is still a delight. Why take a chance on something you're not sure about? Go to the library in that case. This book is considered a classic - a for a reason.

There are a lot of books out there for children and it can be overwhelming on what to select. But she doesn't come right out and say 'Play Nicely!' she still goes round-about, letting the children make the connection. Author Minarik addresses two children who aren't getting along. Or a pair of caterpillars on the same leaf. A story such as this might feature two bears trying to eat the same honey. And while many of the books at this level that are being written and published today are still didactic, they try to teach a lesson in an indirect way. It's quite charming, and it's actually ABOUT something (learn to play nicely). This is a Level 2/Grades 1-3 easy-to-read book. I don't review these older children's books too often, but I really should. This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book.