Changes

The story is very well done too. I love the idea of a philosophical bear, and I liked the tale of him heading into town to try and find someone to teach him to read. Clementine's mother is obviously a sensible motherly type, since she immediately recognises that George holds no threat and that he is merely in the school in order to learn how to read. There's a very sweet picture of George sitting in Clementine's garden with a spread of alphabet cards in front of him as he starts to learn his letters. I really like that we're told that he doesn't find reading easy at first, and that he makes lots of mistakes. It's nice to show children that it doesn't always come easily. I also liked that we see George being read aloud to as well and, of course, with the ending suggesting that really George learning to read is just the beginning, well it's an ideal bibliophile picture book!

The story is quite involving, and I found my two -year -old had no patience for it, so it works best with older toddlers, and children in key stage one. It's particularly nice for children who are just learning to read themselves, for they can then identify with the bear's tentative steps in learning to read, his struggles and ultimately his success. A gentle, beautifully illustrated read.

For a grumpy bear story try [[The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland]] and if you can cope with the trauma of a bear getting lost then do take a look at [[I Love You, Muddy Bear by Jane Simmons]]. You might also enjoy [[Bear Has a Story to Tell by Philip C Stead and Erin E Stead]].