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The Boy and the Bear

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The Boy and the Bear

Hardcover

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Hardcover
$16.99

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Overview

"In this quiet tale by Corderoy, an unlikely friendship grows through the seasons...A sweet tale of unexpected pals."
— Publishers Weekly

When a lonely little boy receives an invitation to play written on a paper boat, it seems that he has finally found the best friend he’s been longing for. But Bear isn’t quite the playmate the boy had imagined. Bear may not know how to play games, but when he starts to build a tree house, the boy is intrigued and a magical summer begins. As autumn passes and the first winter snowflakes start to fall, the boy is left alone. Only then does he truly realize how much he misses Bear. It's a happy reunion when Bear finally returns in the spring.

Product Details
About the Author

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536208146
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	11/05/2019
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,105,050
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 11.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Tracey Corderoy lives in a hidden valley in Gloucestershire, England, with her husband, two children, and an ever-increasing menagerie of devilishly cute but sometimes naughty pets. As a teacher who has always had a passion for literature, her head is crammed with countless ideas and stories, and she loves the adventures that her characters insist on sharing with her.

Sarah Massini has always loved to draw. Her mother said it was a blessing how paper and a pencil could keep her quiet and out of mischief for hours. This lifelong habit has seen her through careers in corporate design, children’s book design, and illustration . . . which is what she loves doing best. She lives in England with her husband and young son and their terrier, Tess, who keeps guard as she draws.

From the B&N Reads Blog

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Editorial Reviews

11/11/2019
In this quiet tale by Corderoy, an unlikely friendship grows through the seasons. A lonely boy wants to play, but most games require two, and azure Bear’s “too shy even to say hello.” When a paper boat with “BOO!” written on its side appears, the boy is disappointed to discover that the sender is Bear, who is ill-suited to most games. Bear begins building a tree house, though, and wash-filled mixed-media illustrations show the two bonding, contentedly enjoying each other amid autumn leaves and early snowflakes. Upon winter’s arrival, Bear leaves to hibernate, and in melancholic scenes the boy awaits the return of his friend; Massini’s grey snowscapes soon melt into springtime scenes, and the story concludes with a joyous reunion between the boy and Bear. A sweet tale of unexpected pals. Ages 2–5. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Massini's charmingly textured and colorful illustrations have a pleasing sense of spaciousness.
—Kirkus Reviews

In this quiet tale by Corderoy, an unlikely friendship grows through the seasons...A sweet tale of unexpected pals.
—Publishers Weekly

Massini’s illustrations in mixed-media format capture the watercolor blues and greens of pond life, with Bear a blue, endearingly round creature with tiny eyes and ears; the much smaller boy sports a cute red pom-pom hat that stands out against the cooler tones. This is a typical yet touching story about the power of friendship, even through the seasons and across species; viewers will smile at the final image of the boy and Bear embracing after spending the winter apart.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher

11/01/2019
PreS-Gr 1—A young boy is looking for a friend because, as he has discovered, all the best games require two players. There is Bear, but the boy doesn't consider him a potential playmate because, well, he is a bear and not a boy. It turns out Bear is also looking for a friend; he is simply shy. Bear sends the boy a paper boat with a message. The two exchange multiple boat messages and finally meet. At first, the boy is disappointed that the message writer is Bear, but the two try to play anyway. When the games the boy wanted to play don't work for Bear, the two build a tree fort together and pass the autumn companionably. Winter comes and Bear disappears. Once again solitary, the boy passes the time drawing pictures of Bear. With the arrival of spring, Bear returns and the friends are reunited. The mixed media illustrations show a pale boy wearing a sweater and a bright, burnt orange ski hat. Bear is large and blue with a bag slung over his shoulder and a friendly demeanor. VERDICT A sweet, gentle story with the important message of being open to unexpected friendships.—Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA

School Library Journal

2019-08-12
A lonely little boy in a red knitted hat is sadly in need of a playmate.
Despondently, he realizes that games like seesaw, catch, and hide-and-seek require two players. The satchel-toting bear passing by does not seem to be a likely companion. But then a paper boat bobs across the pond with a message: "BOO!" The boy responds with a return paper boat inscribed "Boo to you too!" After an exchange of paper-boat messages, the boy finds that the sender is that large, strangely blue bear. After trying—and failing at—several rounds of the boy's favorite games, the boy and Bear seem to be incompatible playmates. One day Bear comes up with an idea. He builds a superduper treehouse out of logs, tied together with string. The boy is entranced with this, and they have great fun with the treehouse until winter comes and Bear disappears, leaving a paper-boat message: "I MUST GO." The boy spends a long winter missing his friend until spring comes, and a flurry of paper boats signals Bear's reappearance. Massini's charmingly textured and colorful illustrations have a pleasing sense of spaciousness but don't rescue this title from banality and tedium. The boy presents white.
Boy and bear will have to work a bit harder to compete. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews

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