Big Bear, Small Mouse

by Karma Wilson, Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

Overview

Even the smallest readers can have big fun with Bear in this sweet introduction to opposites from the New York Times bestselling creators of Bear’s New Friend.

Bear is big, big, big, and mouse is small, small, small but these friends stick together through all the highs and lows!

Join Bear and mouse as they spot all the opposites in their little glen. Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman team up again to bring the youngest Bear fans a delightful concept book that begs to be read out loud.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481459716
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	11/29/2016
Series:	Bear Books Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 10.40(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Karma Wilson is the bestselling author of several picture books, including the Bear Books series; Where Is Home, Little Pip?; and A Dog Named Doug. Karma lives in Montana.

Jane Chapman is the illustrator of over one hundred books for children, including Dilly Duckling by Claire Freedman and I Love My Mama by Peter Kavanagh, as well as Karma Wilson’s Bear Books series and Mortimer’s Christmas Manger. She lives with her family in Dorset, England. Visit Jane at JaneKChapman.com.

Editorial Reviews

10/03/2016
This is more an opposites primer than a full-fledged story, but it’s nonetheless a fine addition for fans of Wilson and Chapman’s Bear series. “Big, big, big!” Bear is friends with “small, small, small!” Mouse, proof that opposites not only attract but are also fun to look at. As the duo walks through the forest, various friends appear—readers will recognize Badger, Rabbit, and others from the previous Bear books—representing additional contrasts in terms of size, speed, audio level, and habitat: “What’s that up above?/ There’s a flutter in the sky./ Wren is flying low,/ while Owl is soaring high.” The circle of friends is complete when the birds’ geographic opposites, Mole and Gopher, “tunnel up and join the happy crowd./ The sun sets on the quiet woods,/ but all the friends are loud!” Chapman alternates lush forest scenes with distilled images set against white backdrops—a nifty visual contrast of its own—before wrapping up with the friends seeking shelter in Bear’s lair; the cave party, aglow with firelight, is a lovely and reassuring signature of the series. Ages 3–7. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

10/01/2016
PreS-K—In the woods there are many friends. Some are large, and others are small. Some fly high and others low. Some are fast, while others move slowly. The world is full of opposites, but they are able to come together in a way that is just right. In a beautifully vibrant forest, Wilson and Chapman's animals come to life with love and charm. A bear, a badger, an owl, a mouse, and many more woodland creatures demonstrate the concept of opposites. With pleasant expressions and a cheerful tone, the characters are adorable and endearing. The text is simple and easy to grasp for even the youngest viewers. A combination of lush green illustrations and crisp white backgrounds creates the perfect contrast with the turn of every page. The talented author/illustrator duo have produced another outstanding picture book for the preschool audience. VERDICT Fans of Bear Snores On will want to add this fun and effortless tool for teaching opposites to their storytime repertoires.—Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

School Library Journal

"A fine addition for fans of Wilson and Chapman's Bear series"—Publisher's Weekly "October 3, 2016"

"Fluent and friendly, this frolic will encourage preschoolers and emergent readers to recite and chant along with each reread."—Kirkus Reviews "September 2016"

"With pleasant expressions and a cheerful tone, the characters are adorable and endearing. The text is simple and easy to grasp for even the youngest viewers....The talented author/illustrator duo have produced another outstanding picture book for the preschool audience. Fans of Bear Snores On will want to add this fun and effortless tool for teaching opposites to their storytime repertoires."—School Library Journal "October 2016"

From the Publisher

2016-08-17
Forest-animal friends launch a string of contrasting terms to illustrate opposites just as a storm brings everyone together in Bear’s cozy lair.Big Bear of Bear Snores On (2002) returns to meet up with small Mouse. Together they greet Hare and Badger, Wren and Owl, Mole and Gopher as each pair is given succinct, divergent, one-word descriptions. “There’s a clatter in the glen / High Owl, low Wren. / Slow Badger, fast Hare. / Small Mouse, big Bear!” Lovely acrylic paintings depict a verdant woodland hosting lightly anthropomorphized critters that exhibit expressively affable faces. Each new pair of characters and its corresponding portrayal is introduced against a stark white background that gives way after the page turn to a double-page spread that lists them cumulatively. The engaging language smoothly presents new vocabulary like “glen” and “lair” ahead of the rhyming, repetitive refrain, with opposing descriptive words set in bold type. Just in time, Raven warns of the approaching rain, prompting everyone to seek shelter. “All together, gathered there. / Cold night, warm lair. / Quiet woods, loud friends. / High Owl, low Wren. / Slow Badger, fast Hare. / Small mouse…BIG BEAR!” Fluent and friendly, this frolic will encourage preschoolers and emergent readers to recite and chant along with each reread. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews