The Bear and Mr. Bear - Hardcover

Thomas, Frances

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0525453628 ISBN 13: 9780525453628

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers, 1995

Synopsis

Reluctantly visiting the local town on the day a carnival arrives, grumpy recluse Mr. Bear is appalled when he sees a dancing bear abused by his trainer and finds an unlikely connection with a fellow living creature.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

"Grumpy and cross, shaggy and unsmiling," the village curmudgeon is commonly known as Mr. Bear. When a carnival arrives in town, Mr. Bear comes face to face with a real bear. Everyone else laughs and applauds as the bear, chained with a ring through his nose, is made to "dance" when jabbed with a stick. Mr. Bear, however, recognizes the pain in the captive animal's dull eyes, and devises a plan to rescue him. As he frees the bear from mistreatment, the old man gradually frees himself as well. Thomas tells by indirection, reaching a range of readers. The very young might identify mostly with the bear; older children will see the nuances of the man's character. Employing a palette warmed by sepia tones, Brown (The Picnic) cloaks the story in medieval images. Vibrant flags and the costumes of jesters mix with the peasants' somber clothing. Inviting spreads depict sweeping natural landscapes as well as the stone textures and the varied architectural forms in town. A powerful fusion of narrative and art. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Ages 4-7. Dubbed Mr. Bear by the children of his village, a grumpy, solitary old man discovers a soul mate: an equally miserable carnival bear. The bear is chained and forced to "dance" by his trainer, who jabs at him with a stick. Moved by compassion--and doubtless recognition of their similar conditions--Mr. Bear buys the bear and frees him. The ending, though surprisingly abrupt, is tender as the bear sits with Mr. Bear, munching apples and "beginning--just beginning--not to feel cross or frightened." Mr. Bear offers him a smile. The superbly rendered atmospheric paintings augment the bond between man and beast. With little anthropomorphism, Brown bestows a credible dollop of emotion on the bear and accordingly a measure of huggable bearishness on the man. Proceeds of this book's sales will go to Libearty, the campaign for the protection of bears--an appropriate end for this tale of freedom wrought by love. Julie Yates Walton

About this edition

• Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0525453628
• ISBN 13: 9780525453628
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 28
• Illustrator: Brown Ruth