Matty in a Mess!

‘Once upon a time’, he-bear Matty bear prefers to live an orderly, tidy life, and she-bear Milly trails havoc behind her. Milly dances in huge piles of leaves, whilst Matty, sighing, sweeps the carpets, does the washing and clears up after her. Then a violent storm hits their house deep in the forest, and the two bears dive under the table just as an enormous tree crashes through their roof. Matty suffers a big bump on the head and so it is Milly who tends him. The tale ends with ‘Time upon a once’, with the bears deciding to rebuild their house around the fallen tree. Each also achieves more of a balance between having fun whilst still getting the jobs done. Simmons’ painterly illustrations strengthen the story with their bright, vibrant colours for the characters in contrast to more muted shades for the background.