  | Bearsuit Turtle plays a game (Bearsuit Turtle) Author: Shea, Bob | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
A turtle in a bearsuit and his friend play a seemingly rule-less game of bearsketball that gets increasingly off-the-walls as the friends avoid pretend lava, roll down hills, and search for the biggest stick to become the winner.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (03/01/26)
School Library Journal (01/01/26)
Booklist (04/01/26)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/05/26)
The Hornbook (+) (00/05/26)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 01/01/2026 PreS-Gr 1—Two turtles, one in a bear suit, its head appearing within the suit's gaping mouth, are trying to find a game to play. Baseball is ruled out since they lack "hot dogs and ample parking," and soccer is rejected because there is no loyal and enthusiastic fan base. Bearsuit proposes a secret game of bearsketball, leaping from rock to rock over the "hot lava" grass to keep a ball from touching the ground. After hunting for the biggest stick and rolling down a hill "with grace and aplomb," Bearsuit settles on guessing a number between one and a million. They choose the same number, so both win. The art is simple, the turtles appearing as blotches of color that sometimes overflow or don't quite fill their black inked outlines, like hastily sketched Keith Haring figures. Backgrounds are oversaturated washes of subdued browns, greens, and blues. This is the second outing for Shea's absurdist reptile (Bearsuit Turtle Makes a Friend.) VERDICT While not explicitly sports focused, the title's rejection of organized games for spontaneous imaginary play makes for a light, spirited romp for readers. - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 04/01/2026 In this sequel to Bearsuit Turtle Makes a Friend (2025), two young turtles—one in a bright yellow bear suit who continually insists he’s a bear—challenge each other to play games that are exclusively for bears, explains Bearsuit Turtle. Disappointed when their first attempt at playing bear-like games fails, they try again, letting their imaginations run wild as they search for big sticks or roll down a steep hill while pretending to dodge hot lava and sharks. Finally, they play “bearsket ball,” which has its charms, but “guess the number between one and one million” raises the tension, since whoever wins gets lots of points. From Shea’s wildly colorful illustrations to the lovably childlike main characters, this picture book is full of wit, and it ends well, for “Guess the Number” ends in a tie after both pretend-bears choose the same number, and they decide to become teammates. With its high-energy plot and colorful illustrations, this book offers plenty of fun, and it delivers. Fans will love the appended “How-to-play bearsketball” section. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.
