Bear Has A Story To Tell

Melissa Micka, Collection Development Specialist at Booksource

3/25/2013 3:26:48 PM
Get ready to delight in the joy of storytelling because Bear has a story to tell. What is his story? He’d love to tell you if only he could find someone to listen. The trouble is that it’s almost winter and he’s getting sleepy.

The anticipation of finding out what Bear’s story is grows with each page as he asks his friends one by one if they want to hear his story and finds that they are all too busy getting ready for winter. Bear is a good sport and helps them before going off to hibernate. After the seasons change, the friends gather again. Everyone is ready to hear Bear’s story, but with the passing time, Bear has forgotten it. Luckily, Bear’s friends are there to help him remember—and to help young readers by subtlety hinting at what makes a story (i.e., the characters and the plot). The book ends just as it began; Bear starts his story with the first sentence of the book.

This sweet tale of friendship has a strong character education message of the importance of patience and helping others. It is particularly useful for writing workshops because it lays a great foundation for talking about the elements of a story. Ask students what they think Bear’s story will be, discuss how characters and plot shape that story, and how the beginning and ending line of the story are the same. Discuss other characters and plots that could have been introduced (for example, a squirrel could have been gathering nuts or maybe a little kid could have been wandering around in the woods). What would have happened then?

Use the theme of the changing seasons as another discussion point. Are there special things that the students’ families do to prepare for winter, spring, summer or fall? Or have students ever had to wait to do something they really wanted to do? What that was like? Encourage students to be like Bear and tell their story.

Cheryl Dickemper, Booksource Collection Development Manager

7/27/2012 3:18:58 PM
If you like A Sick Day for Amos McGee, this book by the same husband and wife author/illustrator team will not disappoint! Bear has a story to tell, but is patient and kind enough to put it aside to help his friends with their preparations for winter. Readers will recognize Erin Stead's soft line and watercolor illustrations from Amos McGee, and they are just as wonderfully expressive in this newest book. The subtle message about how to be a patient and good friend will be valuable to character education programs.