Julian's book ( )

This treasury consists of three Little Bear books: Little Bear, Little Bear's Friend, and Little Bear's Visit.They are in an I Can Read format, but the prose flows smoothly. The illustrations are delightful, too.

Somehow I missed reading these as a child, and as a mother. I'm glad my granddaughter wants her own copies, because it gave me the opportunity to discover the joys of Little Bear for myself! ( )

The first chapter of this story tells of little bear getting cold and his mother making him a hat, a jacket, and some pants, until he decides his own fur coat will work best. The next chapter is about Little Bear making birthday soup for his friends because he thinks she has forgotten his birthday, but she brings him a big cake. The last two are all about little bear imagining different adventures.

Media:ink and wash

Uses: -easy for students to read on their own
-good classroom book to have for silent reading time
-too repetitive and simple to make a good read aloud

I grew up with the books and also with the adapted T.V. show, so Little Bear was an integral part of my childhood. The characters are very lovable and easy to relate to for children. The subject matter is simple, and the stories progress slowly, but this could be perfect for young children just starting to explore their world and find out what things matter to them. The illustrations, by Maurice Sendak, find the perfect balance between realism and whimsy.

A lovely I Can Read Book about a family of bears. The bears treat each other with courtesy and respect and they delight in their Little Bear's childhood imaginings. A book to be read over and over. ( )