I Am Bear by Ben Bailey Smith and Sav Akyuz
| I Am Bear by Ben Bailey Smith and Sav Akyuz | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Zoe Morris
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| Summary: A cheeky book about a naughty bear, this is fun to read, even if you have to do so repeatedly | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 40 | Date: January 2016 |
| Publisher: Walker Books Ltd | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1406359251 | |
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I love children's books that are a little bit naughty, not in an encouraging bad behaviour manner but more in a wicked way that appeals to caregivers on another level that is undetectable to their audience as they read aloud. I am Bear is more than a little cheeky, and I adored it.
The first time we meet Bear he is bare! Imagine – a naked animal, in the forest with his bottom on display. Squirrel is so shocked he's dropped his nuts. Ooh matron. The story starts as it means to go on and the rhyme soon descends into a steady beat that has a bit of a rap feel to it. It's unusual in a world of lilting rhythm, but it works exceptionally well even if I had to try hard to stop myself doing gangster hand gestures all the way through.
Bear is cheeky, playing jokes on friends, tricking a policeman, generally monkeying around. There's one dubious moment where he's seen painting a bullseye on another bear's bottom but we won't dwell on the significance of that.
It's a short book and each page has no more than a couple of words on it, but it's wonderful fun and incredibly interactive with lots of moments you can guess what's coming next. The pictures are bright, full of life and energy and the detail is great, like when Bear throws on a hoody.
I'd like to thank the publishers for supplying this book. It was a delight to read and re-read.
Bears are always a favourite for this age group and we have a ton of titles we could recommend. Why not start with Boris Gets Spots by Carrie Weston and Tim Warnes or, for slightly older readers, Paddington by Michael Bond
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You can read more book reviews or buy I Am Bear by Ben Bailey Smith and Sav Akyuz 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 I Am Bear by Ben Bailey Smith and Sav Akyuz at Amazon.com.
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