The Grizzly Bear Who Lost His GRRRRR!

by Rob Biddulph, Rob Biddulph (Illustrator)

Overview

From the award-winning author and illustrator of Blown Away, Rob Biddulph, comes a delightfully hilarious story about a grizzly bear named Fred who loses his GRRRRR.

Each year, for as long as the forest has stood, a contest is held for the bears of the wood… Fred is the champion. He’s the best.

But being the best takes time and training, especially when it comes to having the loudest growl. Then, one morning, disaster strikes—Fred’s GRRRRR is gone! Oh, no! Will Fred find his GRRRRR and realize that there’s more to life than being a winner?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062367259
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/01/2016
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	131,615
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD520L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

After taking the world by storm with his first two picture books, Rob Biddulph decided to blaze his own trail and is now a full-time author and illustrator. When not working doggedly on creating his characters, he makes up stories for his three daughters and draws pictures to go with them. He lives and works in London, and his very first book, Blown Away, won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. You can visit him at www.robbiddulph.com.

After taking the world by storm with his first two picture books, Rob Biddulph decided to blaze his own trail and is now a full-time author and illustrator. When not working doggedly on creating his characters, he makes up stories for his three daughters and draws pictures to go with them. He lives and works in London, and his very first book, Blown Away, won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. You can visit him at www.robbiddulph.com.

Editorial Reviews

It is the clever, small touches rather than the often used theme...that mark this story a cut above the typical.” — Kirkus Reviews

“...the message in this rhyming tale about friendship and acceptance is sweet and endearing.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

11/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—Out in the forest, it's once again time for the Best Bear in the Wood contest. Fred, a grizzly with a three-year winning streak, excels in all of the events—fish catching, hula-hooping, and scaring humans. His terrific GRRRRR of a growl, however, is gold medal plus. Fred trains hard, wins, and has a wall full of medals to show for it. But this year, Fred has some competition from a newcomer, Boris, who sports a mustache and glasses on his large blue frame. His GRRRRR is reportedly the loudest ever. But he seems rather sneaky and has been seen around Fred's cave at night. Soon it's the morning of the contest, and there is trouble for Fred. He has lost his roar. Luckily, his animal friends—Owl, Raccoon, Eagle, Beaver, and others—join the search for it. Alas, they do not find his roar before the start of the competition. Boris is a worthy opponent, and he and Fred are tied going into the final event of the day. Boris scores a 10, but without a GRRRRR, Fred stands a good chance of losing. So, all his friends line up and produce the loudest GRRRRR for him that they can. They are so loud, it causes Boris to jump, and out of his sweater falls Fred's GRRRRR. A repentant Boris admits that he's new and he just wanted some friends. "I hoped that if people thought I was a winner, then maybe, sometimes, they might come around for dinner." Fred forgives him and suggests that they be friends, and gives Boris—what else?—a bear hug. Biddulph's artwork was created with pencil, digital devices, and software. The nonproportional and cartoonish animals lighten the mood and add to the humor. The overall impression is upbeat. VERDICT Not the most original concept, and the plot is rather predictable. However, the message in this rhyming tale about friendship and acceptance is sweet and endearing; this title should find an appreciative audience.—Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA

School Library Journal

2016-08-17
Two bears vie for the title of Best Bear in the Wood in this picture book.For three years running, grizzly bear Fred has won the Best Bear in the Wood contest—a contest that involves catching fish, hula-hooping, scaring humans (the humans depicted appear to be white), and, most importantly, emitting the loudest GRRRRR. Fred has set his sights on winning this year too, and he is training hard. Problem is, he has no time for friends with all that training. Then Boris, a new bear with a waxed mustache and a turtleneck, shows up and is seen entering Fred’s cave—and on the morning of the day of the contest, Fred’s GRRRRR is missing from its speech bubble. Coincidence? Perhaps not. Biddulph’s story has no unexpected twists—some are deliberately given away, others are easily foreseen—so yes, the overall storyline is predictable, and the rhyming text strains at times. Still, the illustrations are quirky and humorous, and the book’s design—with its well-thought-out mix of double-page spreads, spot illustrations, and single-page illustrations—brings a great deal of liveliness to the tale. The endpapers cleverly summarize the denouement, and there is an only-in-the-illustrations side story that little ones will enjoy discovering. In fact, it is the clever, small touches rather than the familiar theme (the value of friendship, extending forgiveness) that mark this story a cut above the typical. This may not be GRRRRReat, but it’s pretty darned good. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews