Anytime Mapleson and the Hungry Bears

Gerstein, Mordicai

ISBN 10: 0060224150 ISBN 13: 9780060224158

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1990

Synopsis

When he meets a family of hungry bears in the woods at the peak of maple sugaring time, Anytime Mapleson, who likes pancakes anytime, invites them home for some pancakes and maple syrup.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

This gem of a pancake story masquerades at first as a quiet, on-the-level depiction of the sugaring process. Anytime Mapleson (who likes his pancakes with syrup any time, day or night) helps his family tap their sugar maples, clean the syrup boiling pan, and gather firewood on a blustery March New England day. Just as readers settle in to nothing more than a pleasant peek into this interesting routine, the story explodes into an outrageous fantasy: while checking on his sap buckets, Anytime finds a bear family with buckets stuck on their heads. He rescues them and dresses them in his own clothes (leather-topped duck boots over the ears, plaid flannel shirt tied around the neck), and passes them off at home as pals, copping them an invitation to a pancake breakfast. A charming tall-tale ending tops off the silliness. The story is great fun, but even better (liberating, in fact) is its friction-free transition from realistic to absurd--so easy, imitating the way children shift without effort or judgment into a daydream mode. Harris' whimsical illustrations in pen and ink with colored pencil are right on target throughout the book, lending credibility to the fantastic and mischief to the realistic. --Liza Bliss, Worcester Public Library, MA
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0060224150
• ISBN 13: 9780060224158
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Harris Susan Yard