Bear Snores On

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book
Review: "In a cave in the woods,
in his deep, dark lair,
through the long, cold winter
sleeps a great brown bear."

Thus begins the story of a very drowsy bear, set against the backdrop of blizzard-like conditions brewing about outside his cozy, warm nook. The bear in this tale does one thing, and one thing only -- he sleeps. Never mind that a fierce snowstorm is raging just a few feet away outside his lair. Nothing can awaken this bear while he's deep into hibernation.

"An itty-bitty mouse,
pitter-pat, tip-toe,
creep-crawls in the cave
from the fluff-cold snow."

Ah, but the great brown bear now has company. Although very small, the mouse deems the bear's sleeping quarters, "Too damp, too dank, too dark." So, because he's a most resourceful little mouse, he sets about lighting up his own tiny bonfire to warm himself from the bitter-frigid temperatures overtaking the woods. Despite the light from from the fire illuminating the cave with a golden glow, the bear snores on.

"Two gleaming eyes
sneak-peek in the den.
Mouse cries, 'Who's there?'
and a hare hops in."

As it turns out, the mouse and the hare are old friends. And it's been a long time since they've seen one another. So the mouse and the hare enjoy each other's company, popping white corn and brewing black tea. Yet, despite the mouse's wee slurps and the hare's big burps, the bear, incredibly, still snores on.

Eventually, this small gathering turns into a rather ample party. No less than a badger, gopher, mole, raven, and a wren join the festivities, all seeking shelter from the blizzard. Pretty soon, all the respective animals invading the bear's humble abode are dancing about, seasoning the stew, and just generally causing a scene. And that's the recipe for disaster. Because all that racket stirs the bear from his peaceful slumber.

And when he wakes up, he WAKES UP.

Published in 2002, author Karma Wilson and illustrator Jane Chapman have crafted a wonderful book. Wilson's writing is bouncy and buoyant, just begging to be read aloud. And Chapman does an excellent job with the illustrations, striking a clear contrast between the stark conditions of the snowstorm (harsh blues, blacks and whites) with the cozy conditions of the bear's cave (warm browns, oranges and yellows).

This engaging story was the recipient of many awards, including a stint at sitting atop the "New York Times" best-seller list. It is recognition well-deserved, for this book is a reminder of what talented writers and illustrators can do with such a simple premise as presented in this tale.

But, luckily for readers everywhere, the account of the bear and his friends does not end here! There are also the two sequels, "Bear Wants More" and "Bear Stays Up for Christmas."

If you're looking for a book to center your children's library around, you cannot go wrong by starting out with "Bear Snores On." Children will delight in the story, the characters, and the inviting illustrations. For there is much fun to be had with the bear, mouse and hare; as well as badger, gopher, mole, raven, and wren.

Rating:
Summary: Animal insomnia
Review: As I am sure you know, author Karma Wilson began her illustrious picture book writing career with the charming "Bear Snores On". Since this impressive debut, Bear has gone on to appear in further Karma Wilson outings. Yet it all began here, with a tale of hibernation and a friendly hootenanny of wild animals.

A big brown bear, his teapot and other cave utensils strewn hither and yon, is hibernating in the winter. Outside it is blustery and cold but (as we are repeatedly told), "The bear/ snores/ on". One day a timid mouse enters the lair and lights himself a small fire for warmth. No reaction from the snoring bear. Soon a hare joins the mouse and they have a cup of tea. No bearish interruptions. Then there's a badger. Then a mole, and a wren, and a raven, and a gopher. In no time at all a full flown party is in swing, ending when a small fleck of pepper causes the bear to sneeze. Suddenly he's awake and he's angry, but not for the reason you'd think. No, Bear's just upset that everyone had a party without him. But soon, the animals reassure the bear that the party can definitely continue with him, and their host entertains by telling them stories far into the night. By morning everyone is fast asleep. Except (oh irony) the bear.

There's not much to the tale, honestly, but it's not the plot that's important. Ms. Wilson has an ear for delightful cadences and rhyming sequences. Just listen to the following sequence, "An itty-bitty mouse/pitter-pat, tip-toe/creep-crawls in the cave/from the fluff-cold snow". I love how that (and every other) line scans. Accompanying these deft syllables is the art of Jane Chapman. With her guidance, the walls of the cave (illuminated by a crackling fire) glow a homey auburn. Characters are both realistically rendered and adorably fuzzy. I was particularly fond of a scene from out in the blustery snow where, looking into the cave, we see the black silhouettes of the dancing creatures against the yellow glow of the fire. Color and texture are alive and well with this artist, I assure you.

"Bear Snores On" isn't the MOST memorable of picture books, but its pleasant enough. It's perfect for the child that is frightened easily (nothing bad happens, unless you count bear growling at one point) and gentle in its characterizations. All in all, a class act all around. If you need a good bedtime story to tuck the little ones in with, I highly recommend the electric boogaloo that is "Bear Snores On".

Rating:
Summary: My all time favorite children's book
Review: Bear Snores On is at the very top of a long list of my favorite children's books. Every time I read it I am reminded why I love it so much. The illustrations are absolutley beautiful. The rhyming text is adorable. The story itself is the cutest. My children, 3 & 1 1/2, love this book. You can't get any better than Bears Snores On. The follow up, Bear Wants More is also very good. You will not be dissapointed with this book, I promise :)

Rating:
Summary: The best in rhyming picture books
Review: Bear Snores On is Ms. Wilson's first picture book and it is WONDERFUL! Written in flowing, musical rhyme, the structure is flexible, never stilted, to allow the story to unfold as it should. Clever word choices add to the feel of the story, be it the cold winter with "fluff-cold snow" or the animals sharing food and fun ("They tweet and they titter. They chat and they chitter."). A recurring refrain tells us that "The bear snores on" while other woodland creatures gather in his cave to escape the winter weather and end up having quite a party. Jane Chapman's cute illustrations will hold the attention of young listeners as will the story, the word choices, onomatopoeia ("And they nibble and they munch with a chew, chomp, crunch!"), and the refrain, which little ones will love to say along with the reader. And the twist at the end will always bring a smile. This is a book that everyone will want to read over and over again. I'm already looking forward to Ms. Wilson's next book, Moose Tracks, which is due out later this year. Hooray, Karma!

Rating:
Summary: Children will love this
Review: For her first book, Karma Wilson does an amazing job writing a children's story! This book is perfect to read anytime, but especially in the winter. It would be great fun to read aloud, and changes in the size of the print let you know when to get louder or softer. The story takes place in the cave the bear chooses to hibernate in. There is great fun following, as animals drop in. They start a fire, share tea, honey-nuts, and warmth and friendship, all while the bear continues to sleep. Finally, the bear must sneeze, and well, you have to read the rest to find out what happens! It ends with a surprising note, and will definitely bring a smile to you and your childs face. The illustrations by Jane Chapman go perfectly with the story. A must-read.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect plot
Review: Great book! Entertaining and humorous plot moves at just the right speed. Rhythmic language makes it fun to read.

Rating:
Summary: My Kids' LOVE this book!!!
Review: Last year in my son's kinder class I heard this story being read. I loved it. At around the same time General Mills and Cheerios had a offer going that there was a story book in the box of cereal. Lo and behold there was "Bear Snores On". I bought it and have loved having it here to read at night to my son before bed. I have a cute lil voice I read this story with (animal voices) and the kids love it. Today at the Kids' book fair was "Bear Wants More" and we scooped it up in a hurry. However we won't get to read it till after Christmas. There are times when I wish I could sleep like Bear!!!

Rating:
Summary: We love this book!
Review: My 2.5 year old son has asked me to read this book endlessly since we received it. Besides gorgeous illustrations, the story is so cute and full of wonderful onomatopoeia words like GNARL, roar, twitter, pitter-pat, etc. that make the story so much fun to read and the kids enjoy it tremendously.

Bear sleeps deeply in his den and the other animals seek shelter from the cold night. They have tea and nuts and soup, and bear wakes up to find a party going on without him! Bear is devastated, not because of the animals in his den, but because they were having fun without him. We love the illustrations and the story--can't wait to buy the other book about Bear, "Bear Wants More."

Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: LOVE IT!!
Review: My two -year old daughter loves this book. She sneezes and growls with the bear and wants to read it every night.

Rating:
Summary: love this book!
Review: Really cute rhyming story about an adorable bear and his animal friends. My girls always ask for this book at bedtime.