Bear at the Beach (Easy-to-Read Books) [Paperback]

Clay Carmichael (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Series: Easy-to-Read Books

Bear lives with Clara but misses having a father and goes in search of one at the beach.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?Bear lives with his human friend Clara, who loves him. More than anything though, he wants a father, someone whom he believes will love him just as he is, will listen to his secrets, teach him things, and hug him in the night. The bear sets off on a quest to find one; in the end, a hermit crab helps him to see that Clara meets all of his needs and more. Carmichael's pastel watercolors with pen and ink add to the summertime seashore setting of this quiet adventure story. Adults will enjoy sharing their feelings of love with a child as they read, and independent readers will also relate to this engaging little bear. This gentle story is best for lap-sharing rather than as a read-aloud to a large group.?Mary Ann Bursk, Bucks County Free Library, Levittown, PA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

A depressing fable about Clara's toy bear who longs in vain for a father and makes futile gestures to reach him: ``message after message in paper ships'' and a sand sculpture (``It is a hard thing to watch your father wash away''). When Bear describes his father to the sea, to a dolphin, and then to the ducks as ``someone who loves me just as I am,'' the ducks reply, ``No one's ever loved us as much as that.'' A clam is just as discouraging. It's left to the hermit crab (``tapping his borrowed shell'') to point out Bear's father in the night sky and speak the story's message: ``Some of us make our homes where we find them.'' That would be reassuring if it didn't sound euphemistic for ``settling for what you can get.'' Clara's presence at the end musters only cold comfort. (Picture book. 4-6) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 45 pages
• Publisher: North-South (March 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558585702
• ISBN-13: 978-1558585706
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,985,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Award-winning author and illustrator Clay Carmichael's new novel "Wild Things" is a 2010 American Library Association Notable Book, a Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2009, winner of the 2009 North Carolina Juvenile Literature Award and a National Association of Parenting Publications Gold Award (NAPPA). Carmichael lives and works in Carrboro, North Carolina with her husband, sculptor Mike Roig. She teaches writing and illustrating and gives talks about about her publishing process and the exotic life of the author. Her picture books are available in many languages. More about Clay: www.claycarmichael.com & www.wincbooks.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars bear at the beach, October 1, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Bear at the Beach (North-South Paperback) (Paperback)

i thought that the book was really great.
it was a cute story and original.

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming Book, January 19, 2007

By 

T. Nelson (South Elgin, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bear At the Beach (Easy-to-Read Books) (Hardcover)

A little bear longs for a father and realizes that his world is full of love even though he doesn't find his father. Wonderful story for little ones who have lost their father or have an absentee father.

5.0 out of 5 stars My Teddy Bear is My Best Friend Because..., July 12, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Bear at the Beach (North-South Paperback) (Paperback)

I loved reading this bok to my son. He and I are always together, most days. He does not behave as if this is very important to him and often runs to strangers and other family members to talk. I've always thought that this was good for him socially; however I feel concern for his safety with strangers and I want him to also demonstrate a closer affinity to me for all that we do and are as a mother-son dyad.

This book really hit the nail on the head and reminds me of The Wizard of Oz's moral. As Dorothy put it, "Whenever I go searching for my heart's desire, I won't look past my own backyard".