You can't beet little bear
345385
Right price; shipped promptly and packed well. The little bear series is such a good kids show. It  displays very good values for children and good entertainment.
1334418
I am a big fan of the Bad Bears and even moreso when it comes to Larry the Polar Bear, (who has his own series of Pinkwater books; try&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Bongo-Larry/dp/0761450203/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Bongo Larry</a>). Up to now the Bad Bears were just bad in an anarchic and absurd sort of way. In one book they investigated the theft of a shipment of imported Italian blueberry muffins. But here, the story actually makes sense from start to finish and has a more helpful moral than just "don't steal muffins". I guess I'm O.K. with that because the subtle don't-do-this lesson here is more than balanced by a particularly crisp and consistently funny story.

The story is in multiple acts, in that the Bad Bears are visited by Larry and have a very good time, and then the Bad Bears decide to sneak out of the zoo and visit someone else at random. The visit, which is actually the funniest, politest, and most kid friendly home invasion on record, is particularly dry, deadpan, absurd and entertaining.  The Bad Bears try to apply what they learned from Larry's visit to this new visit, with disastrous results that are totally lost on the oblivious bears but will be evident to even the youngest readers.

The upshot is that while I admire everything the Pinkwaters do, this book seems to be a more fully realized and focused effort, and the Bad Bears benefit from that. I understand and appreciate that some people don't "get" the Bad Bears, and the deadpan jokes and intentional befuddlement can be a bit confusing for an early reader. This volume, (which I think is the fourth Bad Bears book but I could be way wrong), might be the most accessible of the series, and so it might be the best one to start with.  Whatever you might decide, though, you ought to consider trying at least one Bad Bears or Larry book, even if just to see how it goes over with your little readers.

Please note that I found this book while browsing the local library's Kindle books, and downloaded it for free. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
4495512
I read the Berenstain Bears as a kid and liked them, so I bought a few for my son. However, many of them (including this one) have the same theme: Dad and the kids are doing something wrong. Mom (the only good one) tries to make them change. The kids do great, but Dad's a selfish idiot with no self-control who needs to be constantly corrected by the rest of the family.

Why has the meme from sitcoms reached into children's books? It wouldn't be offensive if it wasn't repeated in multiple books with completely different stories (junk food, manners, etc.).
2196650
It's another one of these old-style Berenstain Bear books where Papa Bear is trying to show people how to do something and failing at it. Just like the Bear Scouts book, Small Bear and his friends, who in this case are detectives, have a manual that they are following. Two of his friends are clearly girls, this time, as they are depicted wearing deerstalker caps with bows on them. Farmer Ben won a prize for a pumpkin, and he can't find it, so they're trying to find the thief who stole it. Papa Bear keeps finding random animals, and it turns out that the farmer's wife made it into a pie, and then they eat the pie, and everybody's happy.

This is better than some of the other books in that Papa Bear isn't getting mangled, and he's doing reasonable things. They just don't seem to actually lead to the answers. I'm not sure where the detectives got their book from. The book says, in its entirety: "First look around/for any TRACKS/that are on the ground", "Look all around/for another clue", "Before you leap,/be sure to look", and, "A good detective/will USE HIS NOSE!" Wow, that's a terribly useful book. Papa Bear has a dog, for crying out loud, that he seems to be trying to get to sniff the trail. So they are literally following their noses at the beginning and that doesn't lead to the answer. "A good detective/writes things down," says Papa Bear, and he writes down everywhere they fail to find anything. This leads to some repetition, which is not too annoying, but it is a good idea to write things down. He's not doing stupid things. He's doing the right kind of thing, just perhaps being a little overenthusiastic. At least he's supervising these small children who are pretending to be detectives, because they're probably too young to go wandering around by themselves (although if it takes place in the 70s, kids apparently used to do that kind of thing all the time). It's odd. It's just weird more than anything else. It's less irritating than most of the other Papa-Bear-is-an-idiot books. It's not really trying to say anything; it's just trying to be funny, and it's not doing a very good job.

The best part: Hmmmmmm.../Ben's haystack/is another spot/where the pumpkin thief/is not.

For more children's book reviews, see my website at drttmk dot com.
1568125
This bear is as cute and small as it is on the picture. It's not so small that you can give it a good hug. We had a roommate go through brain surgery and we always teased her that we would get her a baby polar bear because she loves baby polar bears. She loved it when she saw it. It is so cute!
2585336
Summary: No Bears

Ella is writing a book, and she knows what sort of book it will be. Her book will have pretty things, fairies, princesses, castles, funny things, exciting things and scary things but most importantly NO BEARS. After all, "Every time you read a book, it's just BEARS BEARS BEARS - horrible furry bears slurping honey in awful little caves."

Then follows Ella's delightful story including, yes, a princess (Ella who has donned a paper crown for the part), a king and queen (who look rather domestic), a fairy godmother (with pen, paint, and a magic wand) and a "scary" monster but NO Bears. Princess Ella peers into the illustrations of her spiral bound notebook while behind all the action a furry bear watches on (although he nicely refrains from slurping any honey). When the monster decides to kidnap the princess, the bear steps into action attempting to stop the monster on each page. Finally, when all other attempts have failed and the monster has grabbed the princess. The bear uses a quick wave of the fairy godmother's wand to right all wrongs and return the princess to her safe home. Ella's story ends with a bash for the fairy godmother who everyone knows saved Ella (after all there are no bears!). The poor neglected bear is left with a few straggling fairy tale creatures and no verbal credit for a job well done.

Illustrations: No Bears

Leila Rudge's illustrations in No Bears add a complex dimension to the simple storyline. I caught my son peering over the illustrations on his own trying to see every detail. If you are a reader (like me) who gets so excited at the chance to read a new book that you race through it as quickly as possible, slow down and enjoy. This picture book is one of those rare treasures where the illustrations and words blend together in perfect story-harmony. (Note: Due to the importance and size of the illustrations, this book may not be a good choice for a read aloud story time for a larger group.)

My Comments: No Bears

Meg McKinlay and Leila Rudge's delightful book No Bears definitely meets my personal three major review criteria: well-written, quality illustrations, and encourages the imagination.  My son and I enjoyed reading the book together multiple times. One caution, I did notice that even though Amazon has listed this book as for three and older, my almost four year-old did not understand the humor of the illustrations contrasted with the story until I explained it to him. (Of course, I enjoyed the cuddles and giggles while explaining!)

Best of all, No Bears, encourages creative storytelling and writing.  Don't be surprised if your children want their own blank spiral notebooks for story writing after reading Ella's tale.

To see activity ideas to go with this book, please see: [...].
457080
Pro: Nice pictures, easy language.
Con: Author and characters treat a polar bear cub like a puppy, without a thought about the cub's mother. I can't give this book to my children lest they, too, think wild animals are teddy bears.
2129182
My criticism is that Brother Bear and Papa Bear go out in the woods, then come home to Mama Bear and a new baby. As far as realism...that's just not how it works. Well...maybe for bears. But if you're trying to actually help your child understand changes that are going to happen when a new baby comes, this leaves out a few things.

Otherwise, we read this book to our son quite often before our daughter was born. It gave us a lot of opportunities to talk about baby-related changes to expect.
4329052
I like nicely illustrated bear books, so was anxious to get a copy of this one based on its nicely detailed cover.  It's a fairly straightforward retelling of the tale of the porridge, chairs, and beds.  I did not even notice the lack of "Papa" and "Mama" language until someone else pointed it out, probably because I've heard the tale told as "Papa" and "Mama" interchangeably with "Big bear" and "Middle-sized bear" my whole life.  In any event it's pretty clear from the illustrtions that this is a bear family and the two bigger bears look after the little one - make of that what you will.

The illustrations have enough detail to make them interesting to look at, although I was hoping for a little more especially in the backgrounds.  I enjoyed that the small bear plays with a teddy (how appropriate).  Goldilocks looks very traditional with hair ribbon, gold locks and a fancy dress.  It's interesting how the bears, who are benign-looking through most of the book, take on a scary and angry appearance when they find their house has been intruded upon, so it's quite easy to see why Goldilocks is scared.
969743
When Beandom is under attack King Limalot calls together his most trusted advisors to help rid the kingdom of the monster.

Each advisor has his own idea of how to vanquish the Megasaurus.  Howl the Owl believes that pancakes will do the trick. Towel the Owl thinks that bows and arrows will work and Vowel the Owl thinks building a strong rock wall will keep the Megasaurus away!

L. Joe Bean, an ordinary bear, isn't convinced that any of these methods will work and when he speaks up, he is told that he was nothing but a silly bear.  Does he have a better idea?  Does he know a way to help the Kingdom of Beandom?

When something seems too much for my daughter to handle she will say,"I'm just a little girl!" I love how even though the bears of Kingdom are tiny, they are never too scared tackle big problems.  Even a problem as big as the Megasaurus! The little bears even though they are tiny can accomplish so much just by believing in themselves and working together as a team.  The book helps teach little ones that sometimes you need to think "outside the box" if the problem you are trying to solve can't be solved by conventional means.

There are extra discussion ideas and activities in the back to help you "extend the learning".  I love these suggestion as they help me to discover new ways to explore the book and the world with my children.

Adorable illustrations help create the magical world of Beandom.  Throughout the book certain words are highlighted so that your little one can "read" along with you, even if he/she can't read yet!

My daughter and I love these stories.  This is the first book in the Lima Bear stories, but the last book we have read.  It has many of our favourite characters as well as introduced some new favourites.  Howl the Owl has become very popular at our house, she even named her stuffed toy owl after him.

If you are looking for a great series to start with your little one, I would highly recommend the Lima Bear stories!

Disclosure: I received the products mentioned above for this review. No monetary compensation was received by me. This is my completely honest opinion above and may differ from yours.
3864492
Once again, I had to resort to using Google Translator to figure out this book. Here's a sample of the translation:

"Little Brown Bear feels the wind on her cheeks. Looks like a caress, it's sweet.
Little Brown Bear smells the wind that carries it. Looks like an invisible man, it's funny.
Little Brown Bear sees ripples on the water. They look like small waves, it's nice."

From what I can gather, this 122 page book is a collection of small stories about a small bear and her small adventures in her small life.

A genuinely lovely book, written with a beautiful cursive writing font and sweet illustrations. It's the present tense of the story that makes it so compelling, I think. I miss that in English.
4500913
Our boys love this show and they're 5 & 3.  They just don't like the bull with red eyes, but otherwise it is totally good, clean family fun.  We tried the younger version- the one with the toddler sheep Timmy as the main character.  We couldn't bear to sit through it- super painful for us the parents.  Stick with Shaun.  Super funny!
4205999
It was supposed to be a squirrel it is a bear
1247205
Waldon reminded me of my own nephew. The little boy always wanted to be an animal, a desire which nearly drove the teachers crazy. Unlike my nephew, Waldon won't let the silly idea that children have to act like children get him down. Waldon is a bear!

This is a cute story with tons of fun and guaranteed smiles. With the support of his amazing mother, Waldon not only learns that he can follow his dreams (despite what other people might say) but also leads others to do the same. I and my kids were cheering for Waldon from the first page on.

Walter Carzon's illustrations are simply wonderful. One can't help but want to jump into that bear suit and become a bear too. And of course, Julia Dweck's extra activity pages at the end of the story are always a great bonus
4322266
Wow, It was great to learn more about these cute panda bears. Both myself and my nephew thought it was a great read and loved the pictures and the interesting facts about them shared within this book.
We had no idea that they also like to eat apples and sweet potatoes! It's quite sad that they're yet another animal that's on the endangered species list.
4194041
The bears do not seem to like it but I wouldn't try it on a sow and cubs unless you have no other choice.  Whatever you do be very careful and DO NOT SPRAY YOURSELF OR SPRAY IT IN THE HOUSE.  Takes forever to air out.
2469610
You'd have to live under a rock not to know of the Berenstain Bears books and TV shows. I've loved the Berenstain Bears ever since my teenagers were babies. I like the classic Bears (where Papa Bear is always a bumbling idiot) and the later Bears (where Brother and Sister always learn an important lesson). So when I recently learned that Stan and Jan Berenstain, creators of the Berenstain Bears, wrote some books for parents, I had to check one out! I read "The Berenstains' Baby Book: Advice for Parents from the Creators of the Berenstain Bears" (ISBN 0-671-49629-8), and it's hilarious! The Berenstains dispense advice on all kinds of subjects, including pregnancy, feeding, bedtime, first words, discipline, daycare, and much more. The version I read was published in 1983, so parts are dated, but it really doesn't matter. The humor in this book remains fresh! Here's some of the advice they offer:

Pregnancy: While you've been working through the final stages of your blimp impersonation, solicitous friends and relatives have kept your phone ringing off the wall. Your mother-in-law is convinced that the whole process is taking much too long and that your delaying tactics are for the specific purpose of embarrassing her.

Grandparents: The grandparent's first impulse upon seeing the grandchild is to pick him up. It matters not that the child is happy in the crib, coach, or playpen. Nor does it matter that it required a supreme effort of stamina, will and native cunning to get him to lie there quietly in the first place. Up he's snatched! Then, after a few minutes of knee dandling, Grandpa glances at his watch and discovers that he'd better hurry if he's going to pick up Grandma in time to make the first show. . . . So, putting Baby back where he found him, he bids you adieu, but you don't hear him over the mounting decibels from your infant.

Potty-Training: Bladder Control consists of putting the tot on the pot every hour on the hour. It also entails sponging up a puddle every hour on the hour, roughly two minutes after you take the child off the pot. Stated in its simplest terms, your objective is to get the puddle in the pot. The solution is largely a matter of sticking rigidly to a schedule and constantly keeping a weather eye squinted for signs of precipitation.

Undressing: At two and a half, your tot will probably try to remove socks by grabbing at the piggie end and pulling toward his face. He pulls and pulls. Nothing happens. Eventually his hand slips off and connects with his nose. After this, be sure to slip his socks off his heels for him when he's in the mood to undress himself. Then when he grabs a handful of sock and yanks, he'll get results: there will be a sock in his fist when it connects with his nose.

 There's even a brief fill-in-the-blank section at the end of the book with such humorous items as:
 Smashed first priceless heirloom at ___ months.
 First locked self in bathroom at ____ months.
 Brought home first dead animal at ____ months.
 First fist fight at ____ months. Who won? __________

 "The Berenstains' Baby Book" is also loaded with adorable classic Berenstain illustrations. This is my new favorite gift item for expectant parents. Parenting isn't easy, but it helps when we can laugh at the many challenges and difficult stages. This book will bring out the chuckles in every parent.