Baby Bear's Book of Tiny Tales

by David McPhail

Overview

Great for fans of the Little Bear series, this collection of four sweet stories of friendship and discovery makes a perfect new baby gift.

This collection of simple, short, and irresistibly sweet stories about Baby Bear finding things—and figuring out what to do with them—includes "Baby Bear Finds a Book," "Baby Bear Finds a Flower," "Baby Bear Finds a Baby Bird," and "Baby Bear Finds a Friend." Charmingly written and illustrated by celebrated artist David McPhail, the impeccably classic feel of the text and art will take readers back to Sendak's Little Bear and Lobel's Frog and Toad books.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316387507
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	02/13/2018
Pages:	56
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

David McPhail has been a passionate artist since the age of two. He studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and began illustrating books for children in 1971. Since then he has helped to create over one hundred books, including the first book starring Baby Bear, I Promise; the celebratedMole Music, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year; and the bestselling If You Were My Bunny, Lost!, and Drawing Lessons from a Bear. David lives in New Hampshire.

Editorial Reviews

11/27/2017
Baby Bear, first seen in 2017’s I Promise, makes a series of discoveries in this cheery collection of four stories. McPhail’s characteristically unadorned and finely lined ink-and-watercolor illustrations showcase Baby Bear’s verdant woodland home and earnest, easygoing personality. In “Baby Bear Finds a Boot,” he hooks a rubber boot while fishing and becomes determined to “give it back” to its rightful owner. In subsequent tales, Baby Bear’s “finds” offer other problem-solving opportunities. How can Baby Bear share a rare flower without picking it? Can he keep a baby bird safe after it falls out of his nest? Who will he play with when all of his friends are busy? Solutions to these challenges are all well within Baby Bear’s reach, and McPhail subtly reminds readers that they, too, are capable of accomplishing quite a bit. These simple, well-structured stories are suffused with warmth and a spirit of generosity, and the book is ideally suited to burgeoning readers who are eager to put their developing skills to the test. Ages 4–8. Agent: Faith Hamlin, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Baby Bear's Book of Tiny Tales:


"McPhail's latest offering is distinguished by an old-fashioned sweetness... The innocence and gentle tone of these "Tiny Tales" pays homage to the original Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik."
—Kirkus Reviews

* "Reminiscent of books from another era, this is a collection of four short stories about an active and curious little bear named Baby Bear. The book is similar in look and format to the Little Bear series by Else Holmelund Minarik and many of the short story collections by Arnold Lobel. The illustrations, completed in ink and watercolor, are warm and beautiful and add to the nostalgic charm of the book. The pictures are so well done that they alone could tell the stories."
—School Library Journal, starred review

"In both the text and the illustrations, there's an earnestness about these characters that is childlike and endearing. With a wider format than most books for beginning readers, this also makes an appealing picture book for reading aloud to the younger set."—Booklist

"McPhail subtly reminds readers that they, too, are capable of accomplishing quite a bit. These simple, well-structured stories are suffused with warmth and a spirit of generosity, and the book is ideally suited to burgeoning readers who are eager to put their developing skills to the test."
—Publishers Weekly

"Young readers will be drawn easily into Baby Bear's world."
—Bookpage

"Watercolor provides soft texture for McPhail's charming pen-and-ink illustrations."—Kirkus Reviews

"A perfect picture book introduction to simple but delightful narratives."—WCMU Public Radio

"Warm affirmation that will just suit a small reader's sensibilities."
—The Wall Street Journal

Praise for All the Awake Animals Are Almost Asleep:
* "With meticulous inking and a palette of watercolors that glows with the soft colors of dusk and twilight, McPhail portrays an animal world where sleep is a welcome visitor and bedding down is an eloquent expression of personality."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Luxuriously colorful, like a warm, luminescent blanket at bedtime."—New York Times

"Gorgeously serene... beautiful."—Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 03/01/2018
PreS—Reminiscent of books from another era, this is a collection of four short stories about an active and curious little bear named Baby Bear. The book is similar in look and format to the "Little Bear" series by Else Holmelund Minarik and many of the short story collections by Arnold Lobel. The illustrations, completed in ink and watercolor, are warm and beautiful and add to the nostalgic charm of the book. The pictures are so well done that they alone could tell the stories. The characters are happy and positive and the setting is rich and inviting. Each selection is about 10 pages long and relates a story of Baby Bear interacting in a kind and helpful manner with those around him. Emergent readers seeking a challenge will enjoy these stories independently, while younger children will enjoy having them read aloud. VERDICT A stellar first selection for every young children's library collection. —Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

School Library Journal

2017-11-13
Somewhat longer than most early readers but not quite a chapter book, McPhail's latest offering is distinguished by an old-fashioned sweetness. Brief chapters tell four simple stories about things Baby Bear finds while exploring in the woods: a boot, a flower, a baby bird, and a friend. This kind and considerate bear sets out to find the owner of the boot, shares the flower with his mother, rescues the bird, and makes a new friend. Each stand-alone tale is linked by common, anthropomorphized animal characters and stars the winsome bear readers may recognize from I Promise (2017). Watercolor provides soft texture for McPhail's charming pen-and-ink illustrations. Rather than bleeding to the edges, the pictures occupy the middle of each page, while two to five lines of text per page are set against clean, white backgrounds. Although they are packaged as a reader, the stories seem designed for much younger children. They work well for reading aloud with young children, but McPhail does not employ any of the strategies that help children read independently. By the time children are ready for text this long, they may also want more exciting adventures. The innocence and gentle tone of these "Tiny Tales" pay homage to the original Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik but without the memorable wit of Maurice Sendak's illustrations. (Early reader. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews