Copy Me, Copycub [Hardcover]

Richard Edwards (Author), Susan Winter (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 1999 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Through spring, summer, and autumn, through streams, swamps, and up and down trees, a mother bear and her cub play an important game of follow the leader. "You're my own little Copycub!" mother bear exclaims. Little does the cub know that each time he imitates his mom, he's learning precious life lessons. When winter suddenly arrives, the bears must make their way to the cozy cave to sleep until springtime. It's a long, hard journey, and as the snow blows into Copycub's eyes and ice fringes his fur, all he wants to do is lie down and sleep. How will his mother convince him to take just a few more steps?

Richard Edwards's simple, gentle text is heartwarming and inspiring. All the rich details of nature and the tender interactions between mother bear and cub are made real in Susan Winter's soft watercolor illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this reassuring tale from a British team, a mother bear affectionately nicknames her offspring "Copycub" because he learns by doing everything she does. "When his mother splashed through a swamp,/ the cub splashed through a swamp./ When his mother sat down for a scratch, the cub sat down for a scratch." The artwork, in close synchrony with the straightforward text, offers warmly rendered, simply composed watercolors that depict the bears leading an idyllic existence in the north woods. Then winter comes, and the bears must head to a distant cave to hibernate. A single snowflake quickly builds to a blizzard, and it is too much for Copycub. In a series of panels, the little bear slowly collapses in the snow: "He couldn't go one step further. All he wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep." It's a somewhat tense, even shocking moment in the previously gentle, almost lulling story: suddenly, Copycub's ability to mimic his mother becomes a matter of life and death. But Edwards and Winter don't shift gears. Rather, this dramatic turn of events reveals the strength of their understated approach. When the next pages reveal the mother bear nudging her exhausted cub successfully to their cave, the audience's relief will be palpable. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

PreSchool-K-A charming story of a mimicking cub who, with his mother, explores through spring, forages through summer, travels through the fall, and reaches a safe haven during the first snow of winter. The text includes fun-sounding words such as "lolloped" and some repetition ("His mother took a step. Copycub took a step"). Full-page soft watercolor illustrations, a varied layout, and a soothing text combine to create a warm, loving mood. Be prepared for repeated requests for this title.
Laura Santoro, Coventry Library, Cleveland Heights, OH
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (November 3, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060285702
• ISBN-13: 978-0060285708
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,524,860 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gentle Story with Beautiful Illustrations, April 3, 2000

By 

JKH "Selective TV Viewer" (Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Copy Me, Copycub (Hardcover)

This is the story of a bear cub that copies his mother in everything she does. The illustrations are absolutely wonderful, and the story is heart-warming. My son (2 1/2) loves this book and asks me to read it over and over. It shows a son learning from his mother by doing what she does, and a nice mother-son bond. Being a mother of two boys, I appreciate such a loving story written and illustrated in a way that strikes a child's interest.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic art with a real-life story, January 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Copy Me, Copycub (Hardcover)

Beautiful art work accompanies this delightful story of a bear cub's first year in the woods and meadows. Children will love the "copycat structure" of the story as well as the wonderful descriptions of places and events that take place while bear cub learns from her mother.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars copy me copycub, August 16, 2000

By 

Monika Grudzinski (Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Copy Me, Copycub (Hardcover)

This is the third time we are checking this delightful book out of the library, so it's definitely time to buy it. My just turning three year old loves this book and has us read it to him every night. The pictures are great, and he has this story down to memory also, as someone else mentioned in their review. I would recommend this book to anyone with a 2-5 year old in mind..