Beardream [Hardcover]

Will Hobbs (Author), Jill Kastner (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1997

A story based on Ute lore finds Short Tail and his people searching for Great Bear, who has not emerged with the springtime, until the boy dreams he has wakened the bear, who rewards him by celebrating an end-of-winter dance.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3. Hobbs explores the relationship between a young boy and a bear in his first picture book, a theme he has pursued in his novels for older children. In early spring, Short Tail, a young Ute, is concerned because no one has seen the Great Bear. He is worried that the animal will starve and goes to find him. But the boy tires and sleeps; in a dream he finds the Great Bear and wakes him. The creature appreciates Short Tail's respect and shares with him the annual bear dance, which celebrates the end of winter. The child in turn teaches the dance to his people. This layered tale, which is based on a Ute story, is respectfully told, but it may be confusing for readers, and the art doesn't clarify matters. Kastner's oils are often impressive; dark, soft-edged, with large figures set against mountain landscapes. In several of the dream spreads, images of the dreamer (bear or human) are incorporated into the landscape, but they are not set far enough apart. In some scenes it's not obvious which character is Short Tail. The primary focus of the story is also not clear: Is it the survival of the Great Bear, Short Tail's relationship with it, the end of winter, Short Tail's bravery, or the teaching of the dance?or all of the above. Discussion will be helpful.?Leda Schubert, Vermont Department of Education, Montpelier
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 6^-9. As spring comes to the mountains, a great bear remains sleeping. His absence is noted, and village people worry that the grandfather bear has not survived the winter. So great is the concern that one young boy from the village climbs high into the mountains to look for the bear. Exhausted by the climb, the boy dreams of finding and waking the bear. Together boy and bear join other bears dancing "to the rhythm of thunder." It is this dance that the boy later teaches his people. Hobbs' fictionalized version of the traditional Ute bear dance story is enhanced by the large picture-book format featuring Kastner's double-spread oil paintings, in which the illustrator cues the dream sequences, subtly exposing the bear and the boy as part of the landscape. Kastner's evocative dance scenes add a fine note of drama to the story. Karen Morgan

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers; 1st edition (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689319738
• ISBN-13: 978-0689319730
• Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 9.5 x 12.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,621,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Beardreams, October 30, 2000

By 

"stmajella" (Oak Harbor, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beardream (Hardcover)

This book displays the great respect for wildlife that Native Americans have. The telling of the Ute's relationship with the bears is an old tale that is presented well with this book. The beautiful paintings in the book reflect what is written in the pages with subtle dreamlike messages throughout. As an educator, this book will be an asset to my collection for my students.

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful slightly mysterious bedtime read, December 29, 2009

By 

eric_the_redder (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beardream (Aladdin Picture Books) (Paperback)

I've read this at night to my daughter many many times over the years, in a soft voice at a slow pace. It's a simple story about how the Ute Bear Dance came to be, and makes me want to go to Colorado to see it. Although the book is simple, it is a bit mysterious in a sometimes very slightly scary way, and held her attention always. (This is due also to the wonderful illustrations)

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dances with Bears, March 10, 2003

By 

Tyson (MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beardream (School & Library Binding)

A story about a boy named Short Tail, who is afriad that Grandfather bear has not survived the winter. No one has seen the bear, and it is past springtime. So Short Tail decides to climb the mountain and see if the bear is still alive. When he gets there he sees that the bear is still sleeping. Short Tail wakes the bear, and the bear takes him to a special meeting place of the bears. While at this place, the bears dance to celebrate the ending of winter. Grandfather bear tells Short Tail to go back and show his people the dance so they can do it also. It is a good story about why the Natives dance.