The Bears on Hemlock Mountain [Paperback]

Alice Dalgliesh (Author), Helen Sewell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Ready-for-Chapters

"There are no bears on Hemlock Mountain, No bears, no bears at all..."

Or so young Jonathan is told by the grown-ups as he sets out alone over Hemlock Mountain. But as Jonathan discovers on that cold winter night, grown-ups don't always know...

And there are bears on Hemlock Mountain!

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

William Dufris's homey voice invites listeners to settle in for a favorite family story. As Jonathan's mother plans for a family christening celebration, she realizes that only Aunt Emma's pot is large enough to hold stew for 20 relatives and that only Jonathan can be spared from the farm work to fetch the cauldron. Dufris coordinates his pacing and mood to Jonathan's trek over the mountain--speedy and jaunty as Jonathan sets off reciting his mantra "there are no bears on Hemlock Mountain," poky as Jonathan stops to feed forest animals, and elongated and exaggerated as darkness falls. How alone IS Jonathan as he hides under the pot to wait for help? A.R. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (October 31, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689716044
• ISBN-13: 978-0689716041
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,225 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Bears, no bears at all!, December 17, 2000

By 

"treyf" (Norton, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bears on Hemlock Mountain (Paperback)

I am so glad to see that this book is in print again. When I was a child, I read and reread this book. I borrowed it from our local library and thought it was just wonderful. In fact, it was such a favorite in our family, that the refrain, "There are no bears on Hemlock Mountain, no bears, no bears at all." became a family saying. I looked and looked for this book when my 14 year old daughter was 7 or 8, but could not seem to find it. I happened upon it on at Amazon and immediately purchased a copy for my second daughter who is now 7. I think the element of suspense as to whether Jonathan would make it home safely was what I enjoyed most at that age. This is a great book for all children of the 7 - 9 age group. Very memorable!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Satisfying Story, November 6, 2005

By 

Learning All The Time "It's Never Too Late to... (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Bears on Hemlock Mountain (Paperback)

My kids, in 1st and 2nd grade, read and loved this book. I think it is particularly satisfying to children because often when kids say they are afraid of something, perhaps of poisonous snakes in the woods or ghosts in the closet, adults will tell them "there's no poisonous snakes in these woods", or "there's no such thing as a ghost". In this book, however, young Jonathan's fears were VINDICATED! He was right and there WERE bears on Hemlock Moutain!

My kids also loved Jonathan's absentminded visit to his aunt, as they also sometimes forget tasks they are supposed to do. And they loved his creative solution when he came face to face with the bears!

The illustrations are charming, simple two-color drawings, and the book is written with a tongue-in-cheek tone that I really enjoyed and the kids didn't notice.

My children also read "Courage of Sarah Noble" by the same author, and were able to compare and contrast the books - we used a venn diagram. Then they both voted this book their favorite of the two.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book that educates while it entertains., March 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bears on Hemlock Mountain (Hardcover)

I found this book to be very entertaining. It is great for kids because they are kept in suspense as to whether or not Johnathan will make it home safely. Kids are also exposed to the important concepts of staying on task and obeying their parents. Dalgliesh's talent for writing and Sewell's creative drawings make a wonderful book and I highly recommend it to become a part of a child's library.