The Little Bear Audio Collection [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Else Holmelund Minarik (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Series: Little Bear

Little Bear, the much-loved bear who has introduced generations of children to reading, is featured in these gentle, timeless stories about friendship, family, and learning one’s place in the world.Read by award-winning actress Sigourney Weaver, this collection includes Little Bear, Little Bear’s Friend, A Kiss for Little Bear, Little Bear’s Visit, and Father Bear Comes Home.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This is the first I Can Read Book ever, and the first of five classic Little Bear books, expressly designed for beginning readers. Elsa Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak teamed up to create these simple stories that are deeply comforting and lovingly playful. In one story, "Birthday Soup," Little Bear cannot find his mother and presumes she has forgotten his birthday. With the prospect of guests arriving and no cake in sight, he sets out to make birthday soup (all his friends like soup). Just as the gathering is sitting down for soup, Mother Bear shows up with a big, beautiful birthday cake. "I never did forget your birthday, and I never will," she says to her son as he hugs her leg. In "Little Bear Goes to the Moon," Little Bear declares that he will fly to the moon in his new space helmet. Mother Bear tells him to be back by lunch, and he is. The gentle, teasing repartee between Little Bear and his mother will delight young readers, and the spacious layout and large type will encourage them to keep on reading! (Ages 4 to 8) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"These tender and eloquent stories about Little Bear (the first Harper I Can Read Book) are told with a forthright simplicity that is never forced or artificially repetitious." -- Language Arts. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: HarperFestival; Unabridged edition (June 19, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559945435
• ISBN-13: 978-1559945431
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,675,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful, heartwarming, and memorable, July 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Bear (An I Can Read Book) (Paperback)

I recently found that at 42 I still remember the story of Little Bear's birthday soup and his trip to the moon (especially the illustrations) from my own childhood. It's wonderful reading them to my son.

These are stories that stay with you always.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting, June 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Bear (An I Can Read Book) (Paperback)

The Little Bear books are the favorites in our house. Our three year old son and his ten month old sister actually sit and listen while they are being read these books. Mom and dad love them also. We choose these books first over all the others in our bookcase.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pretty much perfect in every way, July 9, 2002

By 

Catherine S. Vodrey (East Liverpool, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little Bear (An I Can Read Book) (Paperback)

Else Holmelund Minarik's classic "Little Bear" books first appeared in 1957 (along with illustrations by the inimitable Maurice Sendak), and they remain in print today because they are pretty much perfect in every way. Collected in this volume are three separate books: "Little Bear," "Little Bear's Friend," and "Little Bear's Visit."

My children are eight and five, but they still enjoy sitting down occasionally and revisiting Little Bear. Throughout the books, Little Bear's mother is presented as the all-knowing, all-loving, kindly parent figure (you can imagine how much any parent secretly enjoys that!). The illustrations perfectly complement the calm, simple tone taken by Minarik in her tales. They present Little Bear as the typical kid: by turns curious, goofy, sad, frustrated, content, sleepy, joyful. We see the illogic involved in so many of the rites of passage of childhood without ever feeling that Little Bear is being made fun of. No, this is a protected, dear, secure universe concocted magically by Minarik and Sendak, and it's a pleasure to visit it every time you open the book.