Big Bear Hug [Hardcover]

Nicholas Oldland (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009 | Age Level: 3 and up

A huge bear is wandering through the forest - but wait a minute! Who's that he's hugging? A beaver? And a moose? And a bird? And a tree? Welcome to the world of Big Bear Hug, a contemporary fable about a bear who has an appetite for hugging everything in sight - even creatures that bears have been known to eat. One day, the benevolent bear meets up with a human. This human proceeds to do something the bear cannot understand: he raises his axe and begins to cut down a tree. Suddenly the bear doesn't feel like hugging anymore and must make a difficult decision on how to stop this destruction in his forest. The environmental message of Big Bear Hug is both funny and powerful, while simple enough to engage very young children and show them the awesome power of a hug.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2—"There once was a bear so filled with love and happiness that whenever he roamed the forest and came across another living thing, he would give it a hug." The joke follows when a page turn reveals a shocked and terrified bunny caught up in his big arms. The sweet but deadpan text paired with the almost slapstick cartoon art makes for an entertaining conservation story. This large, lovable, dopey-looking bear loves hugging trees—all kinds of trees—most of all. When he observes a man staring up at one, he thinks he has found a kindred spirit—until the man takes a swing with his axe. The completely enraged animal must then find a way to stay true to himself and save the tree. Flat illustrations done in Photoshop feature simple shapes in blues, greens, and browns with plenty of white space. While ultimately the message here is a little heavy-handed, the book's quick humor makes it easy to embrace.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA END

Review

This debut is a treat for the tree hugger in all of us.

... an attractive and appealing book.

... the book’s quick humor makes it easy to embrace.

Oldland’s rustic-styled digital artwork looks like a hip flannel pajama print ... and his pictures play sly comic foil to the earnest text.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Kids Can Press (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155453464X
• ISBN-13: 978-1554534647
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #598,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book with a great message, March 9, 2010

By 

J. Prather (IN USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big Bear Hug (Hardcover)

In this great little book, we meet a bear who loves to give hugs. It's his nature! He hugs animals of all sizes, but his favorite thing to hug are trees. When a man comes in to cut down one of his beloved trees, bear has a cathartic moment and realizes that even though he wants to eat the man, it's not in his nature, so he hugs him instead. Of course this causes the man to run away as fast as he can - problem solved. A simple little story about hugs. At first reading, I thought wow, the bear wants to eat the man? That's a little intense... As it turns out, it adds just the right bit of tension to an otherwise cuddly story. The illustrations are rather plain, but I think the author did a good job conveying the animals terrified expressions when the bear hugs them, and the bear is very relatable and not too scary. The green theme is obvious and not a bad little lesson, but it's the hugging theme that I liked the best. It worked well for small group sharing and the kids really enjoyed it when I asked them to find someone to give a "bear hug". My only wish for this book is that it had been bigger. The small size is great for lap sharing and for little hands but not great for groups. I want a bigger version! Still a big recommend.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book sure to appeal to kids age 5 and up, October 19, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Big Bear Hug (Hardcover)

Written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland, "Big Bear Hug" is a joyous romp of a story about a bear who loves everything and everyone so much that he gives them all big bear hugs. he even hugs snakes! His favorite thing to hug is trees, all kinds. When he finds a lumberman starting to chop down the largest, most beautiful tree in the forest, he feels something very different from love for the man. Try as he might, he cannot bring himself to attack the man. Instead, he does what he does best: he HUGS him. So ends the fantastical tale of a bear who loves trees (and everyone). All the original colorful illustrations are artwork that was rendered in Photoshop. They are very effective in delivering the message between the lines of text, which is set in Animated Gothic. All in all, "Big Bear Hug" is a book sure to appeal to kids age 5 and up.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely story about a big, huge hugging bear who protects the trees, September 19, 2009

By 

M. Talalay "Edamommy - Mom, Reviewer, Writer,... (Lutherville, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big Bear Hug (Hardcover)

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Huge hugging bear coming your way! The illustrations in this book are absolutely priceless; all sorts of animals find themselves wrapped in a huge hairy hug, whether they like it or not (their faces humorously tell of their displeasure). The kind bear just can't stop hugging. That it, until he meets up with an ax-wielding human. He is just about to eat him but decides to hug him instead. The human runs as fast as he can, and the bear gives the tree a giant hug. This is my new favorite children's book for its entertainment value, aesthetics and a bit of a green message.