Brown Bear Gets in Shape (I am Reading) - Softcover

Durant, Alan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0753408384 ISBN 13: 9780753408384

Publisher: Kingfisher Books Ltd, 2003

Synopsis

Brown Bear is a gentle, lovable soul whose vivid imagination leads him to worry, first about his tubby shape and then about the sun falling out of the sky! Written to appeal to young readers, this book contains two stories featuring Brown Bear along with his friends Bunny and Chimp.

About this title

Review:

Nicole Peterson - Children's Literature
"Brown Bear Gets in Shape" is really not one story, but two. These are two simple, silly stories that teach values about looking at things from another vantage point. The first story reminded me a lot of "the sky is falling" syndrome, and the second one about liking who you are. Both of the stories are quite entertaining. The simple words and sentences are designed to give children confidence in their reading abilities. Most pages have more words than pictures; so younger children will probably need a parent to read the story aloud. An older child will be able to read the story to him/herself. The story is designed to teach children words through repetition, and it uses many words that children will easily be able to sound out. The vocabulary is appropriate and stimulating. Any library (especially home or school) would greatly benefit by having this book on its shelves. Part of the "I Am Reading: " series. 2004 (orig. 2003), Kingfisher/Houghton Mifflin Company, Ages 6 to 8.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 2-Dashes of humor, good characterization, and challenging vocabulary make these three offerings stand out from the crowd. The tales will attract children who have learned the fundamentals of reading and are anxious to practice them independently. In the first, Brown Bear tries to get in shape by copying Bunny and Chimp in what they eat and how they exercise. Next, the Small Bad Wolf gets lessons on being "bad to the bone" from his father, who keeps messing things up. The last story describes the friendship between a hardworking, not-very-bright moose and an intelligent but crabby mouse. All three books have watercolor illustrations thatbeautifully depict the characters. The texts are broken up into chapters, making them less daunting. A list of strategies for beginning readers completes each appealing package.-Anne Knickerbocker, formerly at Cedar Brook Elementary School, Houston, TX Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature
The vocabulary is appropriate and stimulating. Any library (especially home or school) would greatly benefit by having this book on its shelves.

About the Author:

Alan Durant is an established children's author who has written several books for older children and young adults, including the football series "Bad Boyz" (Walker), as well as picture books and poetry for young children. Alan Durant is also an accomplished anthologist. His anthologies for Kingfisher include the Red Hot Read collections: Vampire Stories and Sports Stories. He lives in Surrey and also runs writers' workshops in France. Annabel Hudson is an up-and-coming children's illustrator with a delightful, warm artwork style. Before becoming an illustrator, Annabel was a lawyer. Her books have been published by Orion, Macmillan and Puffin. She lives in Muswell Hill, London.

About this edition

• Publisher: Kingfisher Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0753408384
• ISBN 13: 9780753408384
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 48
• Illustrator: Hudson Annabel