Little Bear and the Marco Polo (I Can Read Book Series: Level 1)

by Else Holmelund Minarik, Dorothy Doubleday (Illustrator)

Overview

Since Else Holmelund Minarik's beloved Little Bear made his debut more than fifty years ago, generations of children have grown up with Little Bear by their side, delighting in his charming adventures and curious spirit.

Now Little Bear returns to the world of I Can Read in Little Bear and the Marco Polo—a story filled with imagination, warmth, and tender memories that Grandfather shares with Little Bear.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060854850
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/07/2010
Series:	I Can Read Book 1 Series
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	533,803
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Else Holmelund Minarik first introduced readers to her timeless character in the classic Little Bear. Publication of this book, with illustrations by Maurice Sendak, launched the I Can Read series. This much-loved author continues to write stories for children at her home in North Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

Minarik revives her classic beginning-reader series with this new title about Little Bear, in which the cub spends a day with his grandparents, whom readers may recall from Little Bear's Visit (1961). Alongside Grandfather Bear, he explores the attic of their home and hears about his grandfather's courtship of Grandmother Bear and his days as a sea captain. Discussing what it would be like to sail around the world in Grandpa's boat, the Marco Polo, they talk of seeing polar bears at the North Pole, pandas in China and koalas in Australia. After visiting the docked boat, Grandpa assures Little Bear, "There's no place like home," and they enjoy a snack of Grandmother's cookies. While this is a charming story that will surely attract readers due to the characters' established place in the field, Doubleday's accompanying art lacks the personality and polish of Sendak's work in the titles from the 1950s and '60s. The pictures do, however, go a long way in supporting the controlled text, which will aid new readers in decoding and enjoying it. (Early reader. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews