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.
The title also serves as the book's refrain: because he's hibernating, the fluffy, snoring Bear remains oblivious as Mouse, Hare, Badger, Mole, Wren and Raven seek refuge in his cave from the blowing snow and frigid temperatures. Working in soft-textured acrylics, Chapman (Happy and Honey) makes both the biting weather and the warm, womb-like shelter of Bear's cave palpable. The once bedraggled animals perk up considerably, and first-time author Wilson describes the ensuing high spirits with a musical flair: "They tweet and they titter./ They chat and they chitter./ But the bear snores on." There's a moment of tension when Bear unexpectedly wakes up and the uninvited guests wonder if they'll be evicted. But Wilson demonstrates how well she knows her audience: the bear only bemoans the fact that he slept through all the fun; the unwitting host proves that he may be the biggest party animal of all. Ages 3-7. (Jan.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
PreS-Gr 3-It is winter, and Bear is sleeping in his cave. Mouse stops in to get out of the cold, lights a fire, and attracts other animals who come in with food and fun. A party ensues, but Bear snores on. Finally, Bear wakes up and is very grumpy-but mainly because the other animals have been having fun without him. The animals cook more food and Bear tells stories until they all fall asleep-all except Bear, who is now wide awake. The simple rhyming text is charmingly narrated by author Karma Wilson (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2002) in a clear, lilting voice on both the video and audio versions. Jane Chapman's realistic acrylic illustrations are faithfully reproduced. Background music and sounds are appropriate to the playful mood of the story. The video is iconographic, but simple animation of snow, Mouse's fire, and slight movements of the animals bring the story to life. The audio version has two tracks, one with page-turn signals and one without, and the pace is just right for beginning readers to follow along. Primary graders studying hibernation will welcome this charming production and will find many discussion points in the story.-Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Nova Scotia, Canada Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
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