The Bear and Mr. Bear

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.

PreSchool-Grade 2?A grumpy, unsmiling old man, teasingly called Mr. Bear by the people in his village, comes upon a carnival that features a dancing bear. He notices how unkempt and unhappy the shackled creature is and can't get its plight out of his mind. The next day, he purchases the creature, takes it home, unchains it, and, upon observing the simple pleasures of freedom, the man finally smiles. The parallels between the two main characters are obvious, yet not overstated, and the gentle ending is believable and satisfying. Brown's full-page watercolor paintings depicting a long-ago setting bring the tale to life and are especially deft at portraying the crotchety protagonist and the sad-eyed beast. A heartfelt, uplifting story.?Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"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.

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