Bears on Chairs

by Shirley Parenteau, David M. Walker (Illustrator)

Overview

Can five bears share four chairs? The infectious rhymes and easy charm of this winsome read-aloud will make young listeners sit up and take notice. 

Four happy bears on four small chairs.

Four chairs. Four adorable bears. All is well until Big Brown Bear shows up — what a stare! — and wants a seat. Can these clever bears put their heads together (among other things) and make space for one more? With endearing, expressive illustrations and a sustained rhyme in every line, here is a cozy tale that makes it clear there is room for all.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763635886
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	08/11/2009
Series:	Bears on Chairs
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.40(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD380L (what's this?)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

 

Editorial Reviews

Between the unerringly positive approach to a common early-childhood dilemma and the can't-miss rhyme, this volume will likely find its place on many a daycare shelf.
—Kirkus Reviews

Rhyming text is simple enough for a preschool audience, and the lesson the bears model about sharing, though obvious, will be welcomed by many teachers and parents.
—Publishers Weekly

Parenteau’s brief rhythmic text is bouncy and light, and ideal for reading aloud. Themes of sharing and compassion are introduced in developmentally appropriate, subtle ways, and the bears’ discovery of their own resolution is a refreshing conclusion to the story. Walker’s acrylic illustrations match the airy lyricism and mood of the text.
—School Library Journal

Along with the visual treat of watching softly colored bears and chairs on expanses of white pages, this book cleverly melds words and art.
—Booklist

From the Publisher

With five bears and only four chairs, these cuddly, optimistic bruins have a problem. Parenteau's (One Frog Sang) rhyming text is simple enough for a preschool audience, and the lesson the bears model about sharing, though obvious, will be welcomed by many teachers and parents. Recalling Care Bears in their pastel fuzziness and good cheer, Walker's (Flip, Flap, Fly!) bears climb on and off the chairs with a toddler's intensity as they master sitting and standing without having to share. But when “Big Brown Bear/ looks for a chair./ There is none there/ for that big bear.” When Big Brown Bear finds he is too big to share a chair with Floppy Bear, his dismay is evident in the acrylic illustrations. After attempts at sharing go awry, all five bears discover that by pushing the chairs together like a bench, they can all sit together. The simple rhymes grow somewhat tedious with repetition, but the heavy-handed message—“Now it's fair!/ The bears all share!”—will be plain to even the most inexperienced reader. Ages 2–6. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

PreS-K—This picture book begins with four small bears on four little chairs. No one has to share until Big Brown Bear arrives. They experiment with various seating arrangements and discover that there is room for everyone when the chairs are all placed next to one another, in a row. Parenteau's brief rhythmic text is bouncy and light, and ideal for reading aloud. Themes of sharing and compassion are introduced in developmentally appropriate, subtle ways, and the bears' discovery of their own resolution is a refreshing conclusion to the story. Walker's acrylic illustrations match the airy lyricism and mood of the text. The charming, wee creatures appear to be playful, kind teddy bears. The pastel hues of the paintings are set against creamy white pages, and the white space allows readers to focus on the actions and rhythms of the story. Include this book in traditional teddy bear programs to add subtle messages about sharing and kindness.—Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI

School Library Journal

"Four small chairs / just right for bears. / Where is the bear / for each small chair?" One by one, Calico, Fuzzy, Yellow and Floppy Bears take their seats, but what to do when Big Brown Bear shows up and there's no chair? Parenteau's rhythm and rhyme never falter as the bears experiment with different seating configurations that might accommodate all five bear bottoms. Walker positions his soft-edged, pastel-colored bears (and their chairs) against a clean white background, their overlarge heads and comforting smiles immediately in tune with toddlers' aesthetics. While his bears are not highly developed characters, slight differences in color and texture-and Floppy Bear, in particular, is pleasingly spineless-will help small children track the characters' movements. While the bears' solution is hardly rocket science, their cooperative approach will appear revolutionary to the book's target audience. Between the unerringly positive approach to a common early-childhood dilemma and the can't-miss rhyme, this volume will likely find its place on many a daycare shelf. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews