Customer Reviews

Growl! A Book About Bears (level 3) (Hello Reader)

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This is an excellent high interest book for older children with reading problems. I used this book with my RSP students and they loved it! The pictures are spectacular. The children enjoyed learning about the different kinds of bears at a reading level they could handle.

One just can't go wrong when one reads a book about science for children written by Melvin Berger. He is truly a master of this genre. Being a member of the New York Academy of Science, he is knowledgeable about his subject. Being an artist who is also gifted in communicating with children, this perfect combination simply shines in all his books. This one is no exception.

The photographs are breathtaking and one wonders how photographers were able to capture such private, intimate scenes between and among bears. One of the most moving photos is that of two newly born bear cubs nestling in their mother's fur. They are almost hairless, their eyes are closed and they cannot even walk. Yet they look safe and secure cuddling up to mother bear.

The reader learns amazing facts about bears. Different kinds of bears eat different kinds of food. A grizzly eats 35 pounds of food every day. As Mr. Berger so imaginatively puts it: "A grizzly can grow to be longer than a sofa, It can weigh as much as 10 grown-ups!"

And about hibernation: "Some people say bears hibernate. Some people say bears just take a long nap." And then he asks the reader-child (or adult for that matter): "What do you think?"

The last sentence of the book is particulary touching. But I'll leave that as a surprise for any future reader.