A Bedtime for Bear (Bear and Mouse) [Hardcover]

Bonny Becker (Author), Kady MacDonald Denton (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: September 14, 2010 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years | Series: Bear and Mouse | Lexile Measure: 520L (What's this?)

When the impish Mouse comes to spend the night, Bear is in for a rude — and very funny — awakening in this irresistible new story starring the unlikely pair.

Bear must have absolute quiet when he goes to bed. He likes to set out his glass of water, adjust his nightcap, fluff his favorite pillow, and then drift peacefully to sleep. But the effervescent Mouse, small and gray and bright-eyed, finds it terribly hard to be as quiet as a . . . well, you know. With masterfully paced slapstick humor, droll repartee, and comic visual details, the curmudgeonly Bear and his irrepressible friend Mouse return in a third wry adventure that will have readers of all ages laughing in recognition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Best of the Month, September 2010: When Mouse comes to spend the night, Bear isn't sure he will like having his bedtime routine disturbed by an overnight guest. How will he ever sleep without absolute quiet? A Bedtime for Bear brings Bear and Mouse (A Visitor for Bear) together again, and first time readers of Bonny Becker's delightful duo are in for a treat. Bear reminds Mouse of his need for quiet, but carefree Mouse continues to disturb him with teeth brushing, humming, and resounding good nights. When Bear hears a noise in the night, he's awfully glad his friend Mouse is there to look under Bear's bed, behind the curtains, and in the closet. A heartwarming story of friendship and new experiences, A Bedtime for Bear is sure to become a bedtime favorite.--Seira Wilson

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From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1–Bear and Mouse are back and charming as ever. Bear needs everything just so and perfectly quiet at night, so when his friend shows up for a sleepover, he is wary. All goes well until Mouse's noises disturb him. Then Mouse falls asleep, and Bear hears something. Awakened by his worried friend, Mouse goes along with his host's premise that it was he who was frightened and checks under the bed, etc., finally settling in for a bedtime story. Ultimately both fall asleep together. In a perfect marriage of illustrations and text, Becker and Denton portray Bear as skeptical, then irritated, and, finally, nervous. Unflappable Mouse, with his satisfied smile, is a perfect foil. With lines like, “‘I am here to spend the night!' exclaimed Mouse with a happy wiggle of his whiskers,” and “‘You'll want a bedtime story, I expect,' said Bear. ‘For your nerves,'” Becker's clever text imbues the characters with personality and the story with humor. Denton's watercolor, ink, and gouache artwork brings them to life. With just a few lines, illustrations take Bear from annoyed to frightened and Mouse from sleepy to awake. In a combination of full-bleed spreads, full pages, and spot art, they draw readers through the story. For children who are frightened at night, trying to navigate the world of friendships, or facing new experiences, Bear and Mouse are the perfect companions.Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (September 14, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763641014
• ISBN-13: 978-0763641016
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 0.4 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful! September 19, 2010

By Mary Kate TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

I read A Bedtime for Bear to a couple of my grandchildren this weekend and it was a big hit - scoring two re-reads! (I rate this as "Very Good". If they pull it out again the next morning and ask for another read, it gets an "Excellent" rating.) :)

Bonny Becker's tale of dealing with a new experience (a friend sleeping over), as well as those ever-worrisome bumps-in-the-night, is one that many kids will relate to. They'll also enjoy Bear and Mouse, who are great characters with distinct personalities and more dimension than many storybook characters possess. This was the fist book by Becker that I've read and I found the characters' dialogue to be simply charming, with a somewhat formal, old fashioned edge, vaguely reminiscent of Pooh. I will definitely be looking into her other stories, including the previous Bear and Mouse books, A Visitor for Bear and A Birthday for Bear.

Kady MacDonald Denton's lovely artwork perfectly complements the comfortable and reassuring story. The soft colors help set a quiet tone, well-suited to bedtime reading.

A Bedtime for Bear is one of those wonderful little books that both children and adults can enjoy and I'm happy to add it to my growing collection.

Recommended.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book Soooo Simple That It Celebrates Biiiiig Truths September 28, 2010

By David Crumm TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Here is the review in 3 words: Buy this book!

Why? In 1 word: Joy.

Here's the review in greater depth: Bonny Becker and illustrator Kady MacDonald Denton have created two of the greatest new characters in children's literature: the hulking loner known as Bear and the impish sprite of friendship known as Mouse. Mouse may be tiny, but friendship, and connection with the joy of community, is not a small thing at all. It's a wonderful gift and really the only hope this troubled old world has, if we want to have much of a future on this planet. So, I immediately began celebrating and recommending Bear and Mouse books when the first one debuted in 2008: A Visitor for Bear (Bear and Mouse).

What I love about Bear and Mouse books is that they are blissfully simple storytelling. Even the illustrations aren't over-produced, high-tech digital renderings. They're loose sketches splashed artfully with watercolor. And to call these stories "minimalist" would be saying to much. These tales are verbal and visual gems that unfold in moments with a child you love. Sneeze--and you've missed the story.

The bottom line in all three books is: Boy oh boy do most of us hate change in our lives! But, if a friend joyfully and persistently helps us to adapt, then we can move mountains. Or, in the case of "A Sleepover for Bear," we can finally get a Mountain to sleep!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars grandgirls give it 5 stars November 5, 2010

By Darilee Bednar

Format:Hardcover

Third St Books, downtown Marysville WA

A BEDTIME FOR BEAR
Written by Bonny Becker
Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton

"I liked the mouse. He came to visit Bear. Bear didn't want anyone at his house. Bear played nicely with Mouse. At bedtime Bear got scared and Mouse made Bear feel safe."

Reviewer: Abbygail, age 4
Helper: Isabel, age 3

This is the first book we've read in the Mouse and Bear series. From Bonny Becker's talk at the PNBA Book Convention it is obvious that the author intends to add more books about the "do-it-my-way" bear and "adaptable" mouse. Which would be a great idea.

The story is simple and reassuring. The illustrations are muted blues and earthtone watercolors with lots of details and all the illustrations are extremely enjoyable to look at. We read the book sitting on the couch at the bookstore on a dark wet morning and I am thinking this is more of a evening time read even though there is a scary element.

Isabel, age 3, is having problems with scary stuff (Halloween was last week) and I'm not to sure she enjoyed it as much as Abbygail. Abbygail assured me that she is mouse and that Isabel is bear and after reading the story I have to laughingly agree. Abbygail did call bear "grumpy".

After finishing their reviews, Abbygail took the book back to the couch and began to retell the story... after all she is the mouse.

Grammy gives the book 5 stars and the girls have vanished to have a tea party.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A family favorite bedtime book October 28, 2010

By S. Cipresse

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My 5 & 6 year old boys love this whole series. The younger one always says the "small & grey and bright eyed" part. The bear and the mouse have such a great relationship. May all the grumpy bears in our lives have a fun little mouse who loves them so much that they help them live lighter, happier lives.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book February 3, 2013

By Mamatotwins

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My girl love this series and Bedtime for Bear is just as clever and funny as the rest! Great bedtime book, great anytime book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars How Sweet!! September 16, 2011

By Gina Guillotine

Format:Hardcover

This is such a sweet book. We borrowed it from the library, and don't want to return it. Looks like we'll have to get a copy of our own.

Bear needs it quiet to sleep, only Mouse keeps pestering him. Once Mouse falls asleep, Bear hears noises and has to wake Mouse to investigate. Once everything settles again, they can both sleep.

A tale we can all relate to.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Bedtime for Bear July 20, 2011

By PB&L

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is just beautiful! The illustrations are what first grabbed my attention; the watercolors are soothing and smooth with just enough color to make them POP! The story line is fun; a grouchy bear with his bedtime routine that gets disturbed when mouse comes to spend the night. In the end, they end up better friends after their experiences. A great bedtime book for kids of any age. We have enjoyed all of Bonny Becker's Bear and Mouse books.