Common Sense Media Review
By Darienne Stewart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Loving friends, sweet cub make this a timeless classic.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
It's late and dark, and Baby Bear's lost. He encounters a series of wild animals who offer help and comfort as he tries to find his way home. They give good advice: Retrace your steps, trust yourself, listen to your heart, keep walking, sing a song, look up, keep going -- even hug a tree!
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Is It Any Good?
From acclaimed artist Kadir Nelson, BABY BEAR is simply beautiful, in its message and its artwork. It covers familiar picture-book ground: coping with being lonely and afraid. This young cub, however, doesn't find comfort in the snuggle of a parent -- in fact, his parents are nowhere to be seen. Instead, he gets through the night with loving encouragement from the other woodland creatures.
Nelson's warm illustrations seem to glow in the moonlight. Perspectives shift from one page to the next: On one spread you're peering down at Baby Bear crying at the base of a boulder, and on the next you have an awe-inspiring view of a ram perched above. Tiny details will hold young ones' interest, such as an insect's legs and wings peeking out of a frog's mouth or clues to which animal might appear next. This is a bedtime book to savor.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the other animals help Baby Bear. What advice would you have given him?
What helps you feel better when you feel alone and scared? Do you think it might be good to remember Baby Bear's story at times like that?
If you were ever lost or frightened, whom would you ask for help?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Kadir Nelson
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Friendship , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperCollins Publishers
- Publication date : January 7, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Hardback
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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