The Mystery Bear: A Purim Story - Hardcover

Adelson, Leone

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0618337253 ISBN 13: 9780618337255

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2004

Synopsis

When Little Bear wakes up from hibernation and goes off in search of something to eat, the smells of a delicious feast draw him to a nearby house. The people inside are having a wonderful time and are delighted to welcome the stranger in a bear costume—after all, it’s Purim, when lots of people dress up! Little Itzik suspects that the stranger might actually be a real bear, but everyone else is having too much fun to pay attention to his warnings. The comical story and Naomi Howland’s bright, jolly illustrations capture the noisy and cheerful spirit of a favorite holiday, which falls on March 25 in 2005. Includes an Author’s Note about the celebration of Purim.

About this title

About the Author

Naomi Howland is the author and illustrator of several books for children, including The Matzah Man: A Passover Story and Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat: A Chanukah Story. She lives in Claremont, California.

Reviews

Grade 1-3–When Little Bear wakes up early from hibernation, he is hungry. He follows his nose to where a family is celebrating Purim with a lively parade outside their home. He is invited to join them, and they all marvel at his clever costume. Everyone has an idea of which villager might be disguised beneath the fur–except a boy named Itzik. He is wearing a bear suit, and repeatedly insists that their guest is a real animal, but no one believes him. Hours of food, drink, and dancing later, Little Bear nods off just before the Purim play is to start. Various people prod him to join in until finally he wakens with a loud roar and shows his big teeth. All of the partygoers flee, including Little Bear, who stumbles home for the rest of his long nap. With a muted palette and folksy touches, Howland's appealing gouache paintings perfectly capture the flavor of the Jewish festivities that signal the end of winter. A note explains the history of the festival of Purim. Children will appreciate the fun of a family gathering with an uninvited and unexpected guest and will enjoy learning more about the holiday.–Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr. 2. When Little Bear wakes from months of hibernation, he's hungry, so when he smells delicious food cooking, he makes his way toward a house by the river, where he sees a parade of people dressed in costumes, singing, playing music, and carrying delicious food for the Jewish holiday of Purim. Assuming Little Bear is a child in a costume, they welcome him, and he grabs pawfuls of honey, raisins, and hamantaschen as they try to convince him to take part in the Purim play. The boy Itzik warns the people that they are dealing with a real, dangerous bear, but no one listens--until . . . The gouache-and-watercolor pictures are clear and festive, evoking an old-fashioned shtetl setting with the universal family holiday uproar, and kids will relish the confusion of the make-believe and the real. A long, interesting note discusses the holiday, its history, and its celebration today. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0618337253
• ISBN 13: 9780618337255
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Howland Naomi
• Number of pages: 31