Bear Hug [Hardcover]

Laurence Pringle (Author), Kate Salley Palmer (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-The fun-loving family introduced in Pringle's spirited Octopus Hug (Boyds Mills, 1996) is back. Here, Dad takes Jesse and Becky camping. Jesse, the narrator, and his sister wonder whether they will see any bears at Black Bear Lake. The three campers spend the day exploring and admiring the changing scenery and wonderful creatures that live around the sparkling lake. Come evening, they feast on hot dogs and toasted marshmallows by the campfire, and then sit by the shore, watching and listening to their nocturnal neighbors. In the morning, after carefully cleaning up the campsite, Jesse and Becky lament the fact that they didn't see a bear. With a playful roar, Dad reveals that there is one bear at Black Bear Lake after all, and swoops his children into his arms for a warm, loving bear hug. Reminiscent of Robert McCloskey's Time of Wonder (Puffin, 1989) in its celebration of nature, Bear Hug is an atmospheric story that portrays the excitement of a family outing. Palmer's harmonious watercolors perfectly illustrate the changing faces of Black Bear Lake and the changing emotions on the faces of Jesse, Becky, and their father. This appealing selection might be paired with Ashley Wolff's Stella & Roy Go Camping (Dutton, 1999).
Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press; 1 edition (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563978768
• ISBN-13: 978-1563978760
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,592,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kate Salley Palmer is a native of Orangeburg, South Carolina and was a nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist - winning the Heritage Foundation's Award for Editorial Cartoons in 1980. In the early 90's she began writing and illustrating children's picture books. She has had over 20 published by national and regional publishers, and her latest, Almost Invisible - Black Patriots of the American Revolution, was a 2009 finalist in SIBA's (Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance) Children's Book category. Kate lives in Clemson, South Carolina with her husband, Jim, and their two dogs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Bears in the Woods?, February 21, 2004

By 

Gwynne C. Spencer (Mancos, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bear Hug (Hardcover)

Kids all carry some primordial fear of bears in the woods, and this soft-toned family camping out story may help alleviate some of those jitters for first time campers. It would be a good book to read to children up to fourth grade who are camping out for the first time to set the tone for them to observe nature day and night.