A Bear for All Seasons [Hardcover]

Dianne Marcial Fuchs (Author), Kathryn Brown (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1995 | Age Level: 4 and up

Which is your favorite season?

Spring
when you can sniff the fress, green woods?

Summer
when the balckberries are ripe?

Falll
when leaves crunch underfoot?

or Winter
when you can catch snowflakes on your toungue?

Pull up a chair, pour a mugh of hot cocoa and enter the debate between easygoing Bear, who delights in each season, and his good friend Fox, who sees only the mud, the mosquitoes, or the cold winds.

Live Frog and Toad, Rat and Mole form The Wind in the Willows, these woodland friends will warm the hearts of readers everywhere while they introduce us to the mixed pleasures of all the seasons.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2?Not since Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad All Year (HarperCollins, 1976) has there been as charming a story about friendship through the year. As Bear settles down to hibernate for the winter, he's disturbed by a loud banging at the door. Fox, angry with the cold, enters, and a discussion on the seasons ensues. Bear points out the attributes of each one, and changes his mind as to which is his favorite. Fox initially agrees, then realizes the liabilities associated with each period. Finally, they've come full circle, and they both decide that one great part of winter is sharing hot cocoa. Bear concludes, "the company of a good friend is what I love the best?no matter what the season." The language is descriptive, and the eye-catching watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations enhance the narration. Another story that includes a bear discovering the possibilities of each season is Anne Rockwell's First Comes Spring (HarperCollins, 1985).?Christina Dorr, Calcium Primary School, NY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-6. Were it not for Brown's lively pictures, this sweet friendship story might have turned saccharine. As it is, the tale is a total delight, its playful illustrations touched with seasonal colors. No sooner does Bear settle in for his long winter's nap than his cranky friend Fox knocks on the door, complaining, "Don't you just hate winter?" The question prompts reminiscences of other seasons, which the two friends recollect in very different ways. Bear finally ends the disagreement when he admits that his favorite time is "the company of a good friend . . . no matter what the season." Right on the mark for the age group, this charming story shows a friendship built with room for both sharing and disagreeing. Stephanie Zvirin

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (October 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805021396
• ISBN-13: 978-0805021394
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,675,149 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars So COZY!, May 9, 2011

By 

R. Miner - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Bear for All Seasons (Hardcover)

This book makes the joy of the seasons so vivid through the cranky fox and the happy bear recollecting memories by the hearth. It was a staple for years and we still read it in front of the fire.

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for every child's library..., March 2, 2010

By 

Daniel Bowman Jr. (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Bear for All Seasons (Hardcover)

This is one of the most stunningly beautiful books--for any age--that I've ever read. A favorite in our house, I never get sick of reading it to our four-year-old, and I look forward to the day our four-month-old will be able to love it, too. The writing is marvelous. The story is wonderful. The illustrations are delightful. It's quite perfect.