Ten Little Bears: A Counting Rhyme - Hardcover

Hague, Kathleen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0688163831 ISBN 13: 9780688163839

Publisher: Morrow Junior, 1999

Synopsis

In a companion title to Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, a clever counting rhyme follows the adventures of ten bear friends as, one by one, each gets into trouble until there is only one left.

About this title

About the Author

Michael Hague has illustrated a number of classic children's tales, including Peter Pan and The Velveteen Rabbit. His other much-loved books include The Book of Dragons, seventeen tales of the mythical beast; Sleep, Baby, Sleep, a collection of lullabies and night poems; The Rainbow Fairy Book, thirty-one classic fairy tales edited by Andrew Lang; and The Perfect Present. He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In His Own Words...

"I was born in Los Angeles on September 8, 1948. To me, Los Angeles was the most perfect place for a future children's book artist to grow up: Its combination of fantasy and freeways made it fertile ground for my child' s imagination to explode. Now, of course, it is a large, bustling city, but back then it was just a small bedroom community with lots of potential and a great tar pit.

"My mother, who is British and attended art school in London, gave me my first art lesson. She also gave me a wonderful set of colored pencils. The pencils came in a cardboard box decorated with the vision of the Venus de Milo.

"In addition to my exposure to fine art, my mother nurtured in me a love for books. Her childhood picture books impressed me so much that at an early age I knew exactly what I wanted to be--a baseball player. Fortunately, my inability to hit a curve ball determined that I rediscover my true vocation, book illustration.

"I graduated from high school in 1966. I did this and that for a couple of years before entering the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, where I graduated with honors. While attending Art Center I met my wife of twentythree years, Kathleen Burdick, a painting major. We fell in love and got married and finished school. I began sending out art portfolios to every publisher I could find an address for, desperately trying to get work as a book illustrator.

"My first book was published by Hallmark Cards in 1975. It was a pop-up version of Gulliver in Lilliput. It is very rare. If you happen to come across a copy that is reasonably priced, let me know.

"Since then I have lived what seems to be a charmed life. I have three wonderful children who are not only bright and witty but truly beautiful to look at. Probably every father says the same thing, but in my case it is absolutely true. I also have three cats, two large dogs, a bird, and a car that drives in the snow, and I live in a pink house.

"The very best thing I have is my work, which enables me to be like Peter Pan and never grow up. Being able to make pictures for all the books that were my childhood friends is like being in Never-Never Land. I not only paint fairy tales; I get to live one. I would like to give special thanks to three people: my mother, for encouraging me to be an artist, my grandfather, for his wonderful and ridiculous lies that brightened my days, and last but not least, Minnie Minoso, my favorite ball player, who always tried to take the extra base."

Reviews

Ten jolly bears arise from bed to play. One goes back to sleep, leaving nine. Nine bears ice skate. One takes a tumble, leaving eight. Eight build a playhouse. One gets a splinter, leaving seven. One by one these quintessential Hague bears are eliminated from their various activities. On the uncluttered left-hand page, the toddlerlike bears encircle the number. On the facing page, the bears are shown at play in scenes chock-full of detail and motion. Children can search for the bear being eliminated, follow the antics of the little blue-eyed bear with a pacifier, or find a favorite of their own. Fans of the Hagues will want to add this charming interactive book to the author-illustrator team's previous concept books, Alphabears (1984) and Numbears (1986). Shelley Townsend-Hudson

Edition details

• Publisher: Morrow Junior
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0688163831
• ISBN 13: 9780688163839
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Hague Michael
• Number of pages: 24