A Library Book for Bear

by Bonny Becker, Kady MacDonald Denton (Illustrator)

Overview

Curmudgeonly Bear succumbs to Mouse’s entreaties and discovers the joy of books in a hilarious story that fans will covet for their own library.

Features an audio read-along! Bear does not want to go to the library. He is quite sure he already has all the books he will ever need. Yet the relentlessly cheery Mouse, small and gray and bright-eyed, thinks different. When Bear reluctantly agrees to go with his friend to the big library, neither rocket ships nor wooden canoes are enough for Bear’s picky tastes. How will Mouse ever find the perfect book for Bear? Children will giggle themselves silly as Bear’s arguments give way to his inevitable curiosity, leading up to a satisfying story hour and a humorously just-right library book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763680763
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	09/13/2016
Series:	Bear and Mouse Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Lexile:	570L (what's this?)
File size:	35 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Bonny Becker is the author of several books about Bear and Mouse, including the New York Times bestseller A Visitor for Bear. She is also the author of a number of award-winning picture books and middle-grade novels. Bonny Becker lives in Seattle.

Kady MacDonald Denton is the illustrator of many books for children, including the Bear and Mouse books, as well as Two Homes by Claire Masurel. Kady MacDonald Denton lives in Ontario.

My dad was a respected small-town doctor who dreamed of dancing like Fred Astaire and drove a motorcycle to his rounds in the dead of winter bundled in a huge parka. My mom urged us up narrow mountain roads and out to empty deserts in search of rare birds, and happily managed to read just about every book in the library while six kids, their friends, various dogs, cats, hamsters, ducks, chickens, even a giant pet rat tumbled through life about her.

As my mother did, I like a bit of chaos and lots of time to think and dream in my life. One of my earliest dreams—to be a writer—came true. But before I published my first book, I went to college—twice. I have a degree in psychology and a degree in English/creative writing. I’ve worked picking fruit, made ski goggles, and was a waitress, a store clerk, a substitute teacher, a hotel maid, a typist, a photographer, a journalist, an editor, and a corporate communications manager. Along the way, I met a wonderful man in the vitamin aisle of a grocery store, got married, and had two wonderful children.


For my first Candlewick book, A Visitor for Bear, the character Mouse just popped into my head. It turns out that just popping up is a bad habit of his, much to the annoyance of grouchy, reclusive Bear.

But a little bit of me is in every book I write, and I think Mouse comes in part from every happy pet I’ve owned along with a touch of my father’s wit and charm. I love to say that Bear is based on my husband (who is very pleased with this idea), but I suspect Bear comes from a lot of sources, including the Donald Duck cartoons I watched as a kid. Poor smugly content Donald was always driven into a rage by life’s inevitable indignities.

There are now more Mouse and Bear books on the bookshelves, including A Birthday for Bear and A Bedtime for Bear.

Three Things You Might Not Know About Me:

1. I had to get glasses when I was one and a half years old. I was so little I could barely walk. And I hated them and tried to get rid of them. I would hang them on bushes, ran over them with my tricycle, and even flushed them down the toilet. I still have to wear them, but now I’m glad I can see!

2. My first pet was a dachshund (a wiener dog). I was in charge of training him and went to special classes to learn about dog obedience. You should always have your dog walk to your left and don’t ever let him cross to your right without your permission. That way you won’t end up tripping on his leash.

3. I almost fell out of a roller coaster when I was little and my brother had to grab me to hold me in the car.

Editorial Reviews

Becker tells the story with economy, style, and wit, spicing the narrative with dialogue that reveals the characters’ personalities as clearly as their body language does in the illustrations. Well composed and expressively drawn, Denton’s fluid ink, watercolor, and gouache artwork contrasts the sizes and moods of the characters very effectively. Friends with very different personalities are a staple of picture books, but few duos are as dependably fresh and amusing as Mouse and Bear. A fine, funny addition to the Bear and Mouse series.
—Booklist

In a series of scenes both silly and gently humorous, the ever persistent Mouse works hard to persuade gruff-but-lovable bear to become a library user. ... Excellent text and layout combine with friendly illustrations to set the newest generation of readers laughing at the well-worn joke of someone bellowing for quiet in the library. Team Becker and Denton has again succeeded in creating a book that keeps the attention of young readers and makes them smile.
—Kirkus Reviews

The hooray-for-books message is served subtly, with the focus on Bear’s funny outbursts and un-library-like behavior. As always, Bear’s grouchiness and Mouse’s joie de vivre come through in Denton’s expressive lines. This is one book to check out—over and over.
—The Horn Book

Bear continues to be a brilliantly conceived character: he is the Narrow Comfort Zone Kid, but since he’s writ literally large and ornamented with the absurdly formal language of an elderly clubman, he makes unease about novelty into a character trait rather than an a childish developmental stage. He’s also just a fascinating guy, with his interest in pickle literature and matter-of-fact use of red rollerskates to get around, and his quirks help explain what Mouse, who’s more a narrative catalyst than a co-star, gets out of the friendship. Denton’s assured understanding of these character warms her watercolor art, with Bear’s operatic poses (he has a particularly nice line in histrionic leaning) humorously incongruous yet somehow graceful. Soft, glimmery earth tones are suitably self-effacing for Bear-like kids who want art that is rewarding but not overwhelming. Kids who love the library will relish feeling superior to the uninitiated Bear, while those similarly daunted will appreciate the ursine validation.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Denton’s colorful watercolor, ink, and gouache illustrations perfectly capture the expressions of these mismatched best friends. Young readers wary of new experiences can count on Bear to lead the way.
—School Library Journal

Appealing... Here, Bear has agreed to go to the library with his bright-eyed friend Mouse, though frankly he doesn't see the point. ... Later, in warm watercolor, we see Bear happily marching home with a basketful of new books. Message received!
—The Wall Street Journal

Another charming story about Bear and Mouse, this delightful selection is lots of fun while also supporting the gentle message about the joy of reading and going to the library.
—Reading Eagle (syndicated from Kendal Rautzhan)

From the Publisher

★ 08/01/2014
PreS-K—The set-in-his-ways star of A Visitor for Bear (Candlewick, 2012) is back. Bear is reluctant to try new things, so when Mouse insists they go to the library, he finds the whole idea "excessive" and "extravagant"—after all, he has seven very nice books at home. He grows grumpier and grumpier as Mouse shows him books about rockets and entreats him to use his quiet voice, but when he hears the librarian reading at storytime, Bear falls under the library's spell. Denton's colorful watercolor, ink, and gouache illustrations perfectly capture the expressions of these mismatched best friends. Young readers wary of new experiences can count on Bear to lead the way.—Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

School Library Journal

2014-05-19
In a series of scenes both silly and gently humorous, the ever persistent Mouse works hard to persuade gruff-but-lovable bear to become a library user.“One morning, Bear heard a tap-tap-tapping on his door.” Readers already familiar with the series will recognize this inviting opener, as well as the arrival of Mouse, always “small and gray and bright-eyed.” The use of this familiar introduction works well for beginning readers, who then learn that this time, Bear’s trademark conservatism makes him balk at the idea of visiting a library. After all, he is sure that “he had all the books he would ever need.” Children will love the arbitrary nature of his collection of seven titles: kings and queens, honeybees and “one about pickles.” When Bear has finally been persuaded to go to the library—holding Mouse in a basket as he races there strapped into red roller skates—he continues to be cantankerous in the stacks. The librarian—the solitary human among assorted critters—plays a part in Bear’s latest behavior modification. Although modern libraries are seldom anymore the silent sanctuaries seen within this stately edifice, excellent text and layout combine with friendly illustrations to set the newest generation of readers laughing at the well-worn joke of someone bellowing for quiet in the library.Team Becker and Denton has again succeeded in creating a book that keeps the attention of young readers and makes them smile. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews