Snowy Bear

by Tony Mitton, Alison Brown (Illustrator)

Overview

Here is a bear who has nowhere to go,
so he's plodding along through the cold winter snow.

In the icy-cold heart of winter, a little snowy bear wanders through the snow and searches for a home. But where can he go? Each warm place has been claimed, and there is no room for a bear, no matter how little. Suddenly he sees a flickering of light, orange and bright against the snowy ground. It's a house!

As Snowy Bear pushes open the creaking door, he feels warmth spread over him. There's a girl by the window, who's also looking for a friend, and, somehow, deep down, Snowy Bear knows that he is home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681190846
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	09/06/2016
Pages:	26
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 6.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD550L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Tony Mitton was born in North Africa and has also lived in Germany and Hong Kong. Now settled in Cambridge, England, Tony has written a number of picture books, including the Amazing Machines series. This is Tony's first book with Bloomsbury.

http://www.tonymitton.co.uk/

Alison Brown studied Fine Art at Liverpool and then became a graphic designer. She is the illustrator of I LOVE YOU NIGHT AND DAY and has been illustrating for the last three years. Alison lives in the United Kingdom.

Editorial Reviews

10/05/2015
A tiny white bear searches for a home in a snowy woodland. An owl and a fox turn him away, but a girl in a farmhouse illuminated by firelight happily welcomes him: “The girl takes the bear in her cuddly lap,/ and they both snuggle down for a midwinter nap.” In addition to Clement Clarke Moore, there’s also an echo of Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” in some of Mitton’s rhymes (“Behind him his prints trace a long, weary line,/ but ahead the snow’s waiting, unbroken and fine”). Brown contrasts warm and cold tones in her colored pencil and acrylic art; the cozy conclusion should hit the sweet spot for a snowy evening read. Ages 3–6. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

An unapologetically sweet book that will engage both little and big hearts alike.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The artwork, created with acrylic paint and colored pencil, is charming.” —School Library Journal

“Brown's soft, full-spread artwork nicely matches Prasadam-Halls's brief rhyming verse… This gentle, reassuring story is a calming tale just right for family or group sharing.” —School Library Journal on I LOVE YOU NIGHT AND DAY

“The gender-neutral, cross-species portrait of affection gives the book the potential for broad appeal-the animals' relationship could easily be between a single or adoptive parent and his or her child, or also between two close friends.” —Publishers Weekly on I LOVE YOU NIGHT AND DAY

From the Publisher

07/01/2015
PreS-Gr 1—A furry little white bear, reminiscent of Peter in Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day is outside on a cold winter day. "Here is a bear who has nowhere to go, so he's plodding along through the cold winter snow. Behind him his prints trace a long, weary line, but ahead the snow's waiting, unbroken and fine." He searches high and low for a warm, cozy place to sleep, but has no luck. At last he comes upon a small farmhouse, and finds a roaring fire and a lonely little girl who is happy to have the company. They play games, read stories and "snuggle down for a midwinter nap." The artwork, created with acrylic paint and colored pencil, is charming but the story is ever so slight. VERDICT There are far better books about winter, snowy days, and bears.—Gwen Collier, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

2015-06-23
Where, oh where, can this little polar bear lay his head? Snowy Bear braves a blizzard, a fox's den, and a precarious climb into an owl's nest searching for a warm place to cuddle and sleep. Neither the fox nor the owl has room for the lonely, shivering bear, and so Snowy Bear trudges on until he finds a cozy farmhouse. The little white cub sneaks inside only to discover a little girl as lonely as he. They share a hug, a story, and finally a nap—each glad to have finally found a friend. Mitton's rhyming story skates on the edge of maudlin. "There by the window a child stands alone. / No one is with her. She's all on her own. / She looks through the window and out at the snow. / She's a little bit lonely, Bear seems to know." However, Brown's (Eddie and Dog, 2013) endearingly cute bear tips the balance, driving this winter's tale about loneliness and the power of friendship. Her acrylic-and-pencil illustrations depict a little bear that looks like a hairy pillow with stubby arms and legs and a big black nose in a snowy world that's much too big for him. On the final page, he's got his little thumb in his mouth. An unapologetically sweet book that will engage both little and big hearts alike. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews