Benji Bear's Race

Jean Free, a library consultant, is a retired public-school teacher and
librarian in Whitby, Ontario.

Benji Bear loves desserts. Mama encourages him to eat fruit and
exercise. Within four weeks he “look[s] different and [feels] a lot
better. He [is] lean and trim after losing ten pounds.”

This overly moral, preachy, and simplistic book (“God wants us to do
our part to stay healthy”) is not a helpful choice to stimulate
overweight children into changing their food habits. The stilted
drawings and trite events with their nдive solutions have little merit
as a story for primary students. Better choices are available.