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Summary
Summary
It's winter and little bear doesn't want to go to sleep. He's sure he won't get cold outside. He doesn't mind how long the winter is, how deep the snow might get or how hard the wind might blow. Until, that is, he finds himself all alone in a snowstorm. After a few panicky moments, he finds his mother again. "Mamma, I'm back," he says. "Winter is very long and you might get lonely."
Claudia Rueda's classic picture-book illustrations, with their simple strong lines and shapes, show a very determined little bear and his mother in an increasingly snowy landscape. Little bear is a character that children everywhere will identify with.
Author Notes
Claudia Rueda's picture books include My Little Polar Bear (Oppenheim Platinum Award, NYC Society of Illustrators Original Art Show selection), Let's Play in the Forest (National Parenting Publications Award, Colombian IBBY Honor List) and Nacho and Lolita by Pam Munoz Ryan (Child magazine Best Children's Books List, NYC Society of Illustrators Original Art Show selection). Her picture books have been published in Mexico, Spain and the US and translations have been published in Asia and Europe. Claudia has also worked as a political cartoonist and has written educational books for UNICEF. She lives with her family in Bogota, Colombia.Elisa Amado is a Guatemalan-born author and translator. Her books have been on the Américas Award Commended List and on USBBY's Outstanding International Books List. She lives in Toronto.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Rueda returns to a setting close to that of 2009's My Little Polar Bear (a snowy landscape), with similar characters (a mother bear and cub), and even a similar plot device (youngster caught in a snowstorm). As with that book, the spreads are cold and spare. The bears resemble paper cutouts; the palette is limited to austere white, blues, grays, and browns; the surfaces are clean and unworked; and dots of snow provide movement. Yet the books differ in approach. Before, the narrative soothed; here it takes the form of a lively conversation. " It's time to go to sleep,' said mother bear. No,' said little bear. I don't want to go to sleep.' " She warns him that he'll "freeze out here," to which he retorts, "I'm not cold." Back and forth they banter, until a storm demonstrates how reassuring the safety of their den can be. Little Bear denies any weakness, though: "Winter is very long," he tells his mother, "and I thought you might get lonely." Rebellious children will recognize themselves with a smile. Ages 2-5. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Little Bear says no to sleeping for the winter. Mother Bear gives reasons why he should hibernate, but each is shot down ("The wind will blow hard" incites "I am very strong"). After winter proves too harsh, though, he returns to the warmth of Mamma's den. Wintry-hued illustrations are spotted with snowflakes that expressively get denser as a blizzard grows. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* There are many books about children (in the guise of animal surrogates) looking for ways to avoid going to bed. This is a particularly lovely one, because of the thoughtfully styled artwork, which was computer generated but resembles cut paper. The little bear doesn't want to go to sleep, and, of course, in his case, it's a long one. He follows his mother through the woods as snow begins to fall lightly, and he has an answer for every point she tries to make. There's no food? He's saved berries. The wind will blow hard? He's very strong. By now, the snow is falling heavily, covering the ground in drifts. The snow will be deep. I love the snow. So the little bear happily wanders away; then, in several wordless spreads, he builds a snowman, but soon the rising wind and snow blow it away. Uh-oh. With simple shapes and just a few colors gray for the bears, amber for the trees, blue for the sky, and, of course, white, white, white for the snow Rueda creates a soft world that is so quiet the short text seems almost an intrusion. Getting right to the heart of a child's inner life, this is a little gem.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Little bear doesn't want to hibernate. His mother gives many reasons why it's time to go to sleep-winter is very long, the wind will blow hard, and the snow will be deep-but cub has a counterpoint for every argument. "'You'll freeze out here,' said mother bear./'I'm not cold,' said little bear." "'There's no food to eat,' said mother bear./'I saved some berries,' said little bear." When the cub finds himself alone in a storm, he realizes that maybe staying out in the cold by himself wasn't the best idea. Spare illustrations with strong lines and shapes pleasantly portray this simple story. Three wordless spreads depict little bear's time alone in the increasingly snowy landscape. Sure to be a crowd pleaser.-Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
As she did in My Little Polar Bear (2009), Rueda creates a conversation between mother and cub. This time, however, a little black bear is asserting his independence by using one of his favorite words: "NO." Mother suggests that it is time to hibernate for the winter, but little bear has other ideas. With each gentle warning from mother"The wind will blow hard"little bear has an assured response. "I am very strong," he says. So he is left alone, celebrating his victory. But when a blinding snowstorm practically buries little bear, he realizes mother might have known best. He rushes back to the cave. But he'll certainly never admit the real reason to Mamma, instead impishly suggesting that he's just there to keep her company. Flat figures in a minimal wintry palette nevertheless burst with personality, abetted by clever compositions. Set against a spare, pale background, snow falls down in bold splatters, increasing with each page turn. Little bear's tireless opposition will resonate with every parent, and maybejust maybea toddler or two will learn a lesson along the way. (Picture book. 2-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
