Bear's Winter Party

by Deborah Hodge, Lisa Cinar (Illustrator)

Overview

Bear loves his forest home, but sometimes he gets lonely. As the days grow shorter, Bear comes up with a festive plan to make friends.

Bear loves his forest home, but sometimes he gets lonely. It’s hard being the biggest animal around. As the days grow shorter and autumn turns to winter, Bear springs into action and comes up with a festive plan to make friends with all the other forest creatures.

Bear makes invitations for all the other forest animals, inviting them to a winter party in his den. He decorates his home and lights a roaring fire, and bakes delicious treats for the creatures he hopes will soon become his friends. But as the night grows dark, Bear worries that his forest neighbors may be too frightened to come. Just when he is about to give up hope, Bear spots Deer peeking out from behind a tree…

Written by award-winning author Deborah Hodge, Bear’s Winter Party is brought to life with exuberant illustrations by Lisa Cinar. Together they have created a story that is at once timeless, tender and true.

Includes a recipe for Bear’s own Honey Ginger Cookies.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3
With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.6
Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781554988532
Publisher:	Groundwood Books
Publication date:	09/01/2016
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.90(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	AD600L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

DEBORAH HODGE  is the author of more than thirty books for children. Her awards include the Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada’s Information Book Award, the Green Prize for Sustainable Literature and the honor book distinction for the National Jewish Book Award for Children’s Literature. Her work has also appeared on such lists as ALA’s Top Ten Best Environmental Books for Youth. Deborah is a former teacher and curriculum writer who lives in Vancouver, BC.

LISA CINAR is an educator and the author and illustrator of two picture books, The Day It All Blew Away, nominated for the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize, and Paulina P. (for Petersen). She also illustrated Bear’s Winter Party by Deborah Hodge and is the creator of Draw Me a Lion, a line of cards, prints and coloring accessories. She lives in Vancouver.

Editorial Reviews

Lisa Cinar's soft watercolour and pencil crayon illustrations illuminate Bear's emotions and help young readers to understand the book itself is a recipe for friendship.

Canadian Children's Book News

"Inventive and appealing watercolors and the chatty yet straightforward text combine nicely . . . A solid choice on how to overcome isolation and learn to make friends." — Kirkus Reviews

"The stylized watercolor and pencil illustrations are beautiful . . . this is a worthwhile seasonal selection with an emphasis on friendship." — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

09/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—Bear lives a happy life in the woods, picking berries and fishing in the stream, but he's lonely. The other forest animals are scared of him. "He's so big!" they say to one another. "His teeth are sharp!" As winter approaches, Bear decides to invite the forest creatures to a party. They tentatively approach his den, where Bear welcomes them with treats and tea. As they become more comfortable, they sing and dance together, and they all leave with a hug, telling Bear, "You are a good friend." Bear begins his winter hibernation knowing he'll have friends to be with when he wakes up. The stylized watercolor and pencil illustrations are beautiful and fill the pages with color, patterns, and a sense of movement. The animals are unique-looking and expressive, and their placement enhances the atmosphere of each scene. VERDICT The story is a tad wordy, with action and emotion spelled out explicitly, yet this is a worthwhile seasonal selection with an emphasis on friendship.—Marian McLeod, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, CT

School Library Journal

2016-06-28
Woe is Bear. Bear lives alone in the forest. There are many other animals there, but they are all afraid of him, and so he has no friends. Summer and fall both pass by slowly, and it’s just about time for Bear’s long winter sleep when he decides to remedy his situation—he will have a party! Inventive and appealing watercolors and the chatty yet straightforward text combine nicely as Bear writes out invitations and delivers them to Deer, Beaver, Fox, Chickadee, Hare, and Squirrel. The afternoon of the event goes by without any visitors, and Bear is just about to give up hope when the animals tentatively peek in. Refreshments are served, followed by dancing, and everyone has a rollicking good time. By the end of the party, Bear’s generosity and kindness have made him some new friends, and he knows he will wake up to a bright future come spring. Some suspension of belief is necessary here; the animals’ initial fear is certainly justified, as bears do feed on some of these creatures, but the story’s lively charm and warmth overcome this hiccup. Cinar’s digitally finished watercolor-and–colored-pencil illustrations are reminiscent of Chris Raschka’s in their splashy ebullience and brushy lines. A solid choice on how to overcome isolation and learn to make friends. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews