Bear's Busy Family (A Barefoot Board Book) [Board book]

Stella Blackstone (Author), Debbie Harter (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up | Series: A Barefoot Board Book

As young readers follow Bear around his home, they will learn about all kinds of different household activities! With many first learning themes, an easy-to-memorize rhyming text, and a useful family tree, Bear's Busy Family offers many opportunities for interactive projects with young children.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-Another winning story from the author and illustrator of Bear in a Square (1998) and Bear on a Bike (1999, both Barefoot). In simple rhyming couplets, a bear describes each of his relatives, all of whom are in the midst of an activity: "Smell the bread my grandma bakes/Touch the bowls my grandpa makes." Not until the end of the tale do readers discover that each family member is preparing for the bear's younger sibling's first birthday party. Large, cheerfully colored illustrations in pen and ink, watercolor, and crayon depict a happy extended family working and coming together to celebrate a special day. The endpapers display the results of the bears' endeavors and the last double-page spread shows an actual "Family Tree" with the relatives perched on the branches. An entertaining book that may be helpful when explaining familial relationships to young children, and suitable for reading aloud or for beginning readers.
Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

With this bright, rhyming picture book, parents and teachers can easily and naturally start talking with young children about genealogy and extended family. A young bear narrator introduces her grandma, grandpa, uncle, auntie, mommy, daddy, sister, brother, and cousins, and describes all the special things they do. Each double-page spread sports a boldly lettered, short phrase (e.g., "Taste the fish my uncle brings") and a brilliantly colored, well-designed scene (the uncle fishing in a stream). At the end of the book, all the family members and their respective talents show up at a birthday party for the newest member of the family. The last spread is a family tree--a portrait of the whole family sitting on different branches of a tree. The watercolor, pen-and-ink, and crayon illustrations are bright and busy, just like this bear family. Kathy Broderick --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Board book: 24 pages
• Publisher: Barefoot Books; Brdbk edition (August 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841483915
• ISBN-13: 978-1841483917
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 6.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #295,537 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stella Blackstone has written many bestselling titles for Barefoot Books, including the popular Bear and Cleo series, An Island in the Sun, Secret Seahorse and Who Are You, Baby Kangaroo? Stella lives with her family in Somerset.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My daughter's Favorite book!, February 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Bear's Busy Family (A Barefoot Board Book) (Board book)

This has been my daughter's favoite book since she received it as a gift when she was 7 months old. She has stacks and stacks of other baby board book, including all the classics like "Goodnight Moon," and this is always the one she pulls out and wants to hear me read. She seems to love the illustrations, which are whimsical, very colorful and glossy, as well as listening to the sweet story. The fact that the book is a little larger than what seems to be the standard board book size also seems to appeal to her. I highly reccommend this book!

5.0 out of 5 stars Bear's Busy Family, March 27, 2011

By 

renzo - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bear's Busy Family (Bear Series) (Paperback)

I love the books in the Bear Series! The kids in the class really attend to the stories and love the colorful pictures.

5.0 out of 5 stars Must have BEAR books, December 31, 2008

By 

P. Walch "peggypawpaw" (corvallis, or usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bear's Busy Family (A Barefoot Board Book) (Board book)

All new parents must invest in the BEAR books. They are amazing and your child will love them.