Bear Day - Hardcover

Rylant, Cynthia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0152010904 ISBN 13: 9780152010904

Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books, 1998

Synopsis

Bear carefully prepares for his day by brushing his teeth, getting dressed, and having breakfast. He grabs his hat and backpack, then heads out for a relaxing walk. Would you like to come along? With its gentle rhyme and tender illustrations, Bear Day will captivate little ones as they recognize their own routines in Bear's activities.

About this title

About the Author

Cynthia Rylant is a Newbery medalist and the author of many acclaimed books for young people. She's well known for her popular characters for early readers, including Mr. Putter & Tabby and Henry & Mudge. She lives in the Pacific Northwest. www.cynthiarylant.com.

 

 

 

Reviews

PreSchool-Purporting to describe the activities of a bear during the course of a day, this insipid verse features such forgettable lines as "He walks out on the roadside,/saluting all the deer./He waves hello to all the birds;/ he does this every year." Is this a particular anniversary, children may wonder? Nothing else in the book leads them to think so. In fact, readers will be hard-pressed to believe that any one day is being discussed, as the bear both "takes his summer hat" and five pages later, "...twirls his scarf about his neck/and halfway up his head." The simple, rounded shapes of Selby's gouache paintings add no layers to the text's meaning. As readers have come to expect resonant, deeply felt work from Rylant, this book is a huge disappointment.
Miriam Lang Budin, Mt. Kisco Public Library, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Rylant (The Blue Hill Meadows) sounds a minor note in this paper-over-board book; nonetheless, her rhyming tale is agreeably sweet. Bear's day is chronicled from reveille on: "He wakes in striped pajamas,/ a sock still on his head./ He says hello to Teddy,/ whom he always takes to bed." The use of language holds few surprises, right down to a rhyme about Bear returning "at night to his warm house" and then saying a prayer, "quiet as a mouse." But the details, like the sock atop the waking Bear's head, are tender and specific, and the cozy structure of Bear's day is inviting. Selby's (The Seed Bunny) creamy pastel gouaches perk up the action with vibrantly patterned compositions that are just dynamic enough to move the reader from one simple sentence to the next. Both text and pictures slow down for the ending, in which Bear holds a candle to light his way to bed; this book, too, will ease the path to bedtime. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A comforting tale about a bear whose day is very similar to that of a child. He gets up, squeezes his teddy bear, and eats a small breakfast of grapes, cheese, and tea. After some wake-up scratching, face-washing, and teeth-brushing, he feeds his pets and sets off on a hike. A picnic and a long walk later, the bear turns around and heads home to his cozy bed. Selby's saltwater- taffy pastel illustrations add to the light, airy feeling of the tale, and details (sunflowers turn indigo in moonlight) create a reassuring sense of the passing of time. This is peaceful territory, intended for the very young. (Picture book. 1-3) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 3^-5. Little ones will happily follow along as Rylant's peppy narrative describes a little bear's active life, from the moment he wakes "in striped pajamas, / a sock still on his head," to dressing, caring for his pets, walking in the forest, snuggling in bed, and waking up the next day to bright, new sunshine. The streamlined rhyming text is as pleasant as Bear's sunny day, and the homey, gouache illustrations, which make use of blocks of crisp, flat colors, are charming. Selby uses bright white instead of the traditional black to supply some of the fine details, giving the pictures an extra sparkle. Stephanie Zvirin

Edition details

• Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0152010904
• ISBN 13: 9780152010904
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Selby Jennifer
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 28