Shortlisted for the 2015 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize: Best Illustrated Book
| Where Bear? by Sophy Henn | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Zoe Morris
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| Summary: A stylish and adorable picture book to enjoy together, this is for all the boys, and all the bears, in the world. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: August 2014 |
| Publisher: Puffin | |
| ISBN: 978-0723288916 | |
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Where Bear? is a delightful picture book that is sure to charm. A bear and a boy live happily together but both baby bears and baby boys grow up, and over time the bear grows too big for the human-sized house. Sad to lose his friend, but determined to find a nice new home for him, the boy offers up suggestion after suggestion. Some bears live in zoos, or forests or perform in a circus. What about one of those places? With each No from the bear comes a defeated response from our boy Then where bear?
Let’s talk about the bear for a minute. He is so cute as a cub and so sweet as a grown-up. He’s not nasty or scary or anything like that. And he reminded me A LOT of Ursula Bear, for those who remember her. You can see why the boy would want him to be happy.
This book has a fun story and sweet characters but it’s really the presentation that sets it apart. It’s so beautifully done, with a classic finish that is ageless. Each page is spaciously laid out, there’s no crowding here, and the scenes and minimalist with little in the way of background details: in the living room scene, for example, we see a sofa and a sideboard but nothing else, no windows or doors or televisions or lamps. Simple.
I really enjoyed this book because it’s executed to perfection. I loved the ending, with the phone calls, and of course, the very final page had me groaning, albeit with a wry smile on my face. This is such a good book for sharing. Parents will enjoy reading it and little ones will enjoy thinking of all the different places a bear could move to. Just perfect.
Thanks go to the publishers for supplying this book.
Talking of stylish books for little ones, The Queen's Hat by Steve Antony is beautiful in a brilliantly British way. You might also appreciate Bear's Underwear Mystery: A Count-and-Find-it Adventure by Todd H Doodler and Do Not Wash This Bear by Sam Hay and Nick East.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Where Bear? by Sophy Henn at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Where Bear? by Sophy Henn at Amazon.com.
Where Bear? by Sophy Henn is in the Top Ten Books For Sharing 2014.
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