Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?

by Martin Waddell, Barbara Firth (Illustrator)

Overview

"I don't like the dark," said Little Bear.
"What dark?" said Big Bear.
"The dark all around us," said Little Bear.

In this tender account of a sleepless night in the bear cave, Big Bear sets out with all his patience and understanding to show Little Bear that the dark is nothing to be afraid of. When all the lanterns in the cave aren't enough to quell Little Bear's troubled emotions, Big Bear offers—in a final loving gesture—nothing less than the bright yellow moon and the twinkling stars! More comforting than even the best of lullabies, this bedtime story is destined to become a classic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781564022622
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	01/03/1994
Series:	Little Bear
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	246,904
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.25(h) x 0.16(d)
Lexile:	AD450L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

Editorial Reviews

Afraid of the dark, Little Bear has trouble sleeping in his cave. Big Bear brings him a teeny-weeny lantern to chase the dark away. When that doesn't work, Big Bear brings a medium-sized lantern, then the Biggest Lantern of Them All. Little Bear insists the dark is still there. Big Bear takes him outside to show him the moon, and Little Bear falls asleep snug in Big Bear's arms. Firth's illustrations add humor to this cozy bedtime story.

Barnes & Noble Staff

Move over, Goodnight Moon . Margaret Wise Brown's enduring bedtime classic may have found a worthy successor in this collaboration by Waddell and Firth (The Park in the Dark, We Love Them). Their gentle story is, in fact, highly reminiscent of Brown at her snug and cozy best. Set in a forest in winter, the tale features a winning bear duo--a great tender-hearted fellow named Big Bear and an exuberant toddler named Little Bear. After a busy day playing in the snow, the two retire to the Bear Cave, where Little Bear is bundled off to his bed in a shadowy corner while Big Bear settles down to read by the fireside. When Little Bear can't sleep--"I don't like the dark''--Big Bear fetches a tiny lantern and returns to his chair. This exchange is repeated several times, with Big Bear patiently bringing ever-larger lanterns, until finally the little chap points at the dark outside. The two venture forth to look at the night ("I've brought you the moon, Little Bear,'' said Big Bear. "The bright yellow moon and all the twinkly stars''), and the cub falls asleep in Big Bear's arms. Waddell's tranquil tale is perfectly attuned to a child's need for security and bedtime ritual; combined with Firth's serene watercolors, it's a triumph of genuine affection. Young readers will delight in the text's repetition and revel in the illustrations' warm details--as Big Bear reads in the aptly named Bear Chair (complete with claws and paws), for example, Little Bear can be glimpsed frolicking on his bed. These memorable bruins--worthy companions of Pooh and Paddington--inhabit a sweet, reassuring world that children (and adults) will want to enter again and again. Ages 3-up. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Break out the candles and cake: this season, old favorites mark special occasions in an array of anniversary editions. A gold-embossed cover and a limited-edition print suitable for framing embellish the 10th-anniversary edition of Can't You Sleep Little Bear? by Martin Waddell, illus. by Barbara Firth. PW wrote of this tale of Big Bear and exuberant toddler Little Bear settling down on a wintry night, "Move over, Goodnight Moon. Margaret Wise Brown's enduring bedtime classic may have found a worthy successor." (Oct.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

PreS -- This warm, charming look at a small bear's fear of the dark is right on target for the preschool set. As Big Bear sits by the cozy fire trying to read, Little Bear, frightened of "the dark all around us,'' cannot fall asleep. Sympathetic Big Bear lights lanterns in several sizes, attempting to banish the dark from the corners of their cave, but Little Bear wants more. Finally, when he is taken outside, cuddled close, and shown a full moon and twinkling stars, sleep comes instantly. Big Bear's compassion for his small charge is most evident in his loving facial expressions and in the warmth of the full-page watercolor and soft pencil illustrations. Blue arched borders around pages showing indoor scenes give the impression of looking into the cave from the dark outside; they provide a clear contrast to the wide-open snowy woodland settings at the book's beginning and end. Little Bear is the epitome of everychild, persistently (but endearingly) pestering for a little more attention and one last hug. The soft banter between the two characters, combined with a touch of repetitive phrasing, add to the book's strong child appeal. It's bound to become a beloved bedtime ritual in many households. --Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH

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