Little Bear's Trousers [Paperback]

Jane Hissey (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Little Bear wakes up one morning to find that his favorite red trousers are missing. As he searches through the house, he finds that each of his stuffed-toy friends has found a different (and most untrouserly) use for them and passed them on. Will the beloved trousers ever turn up? Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hissey's textured illustrations, so lifelike that they resemble hand-tinted photographs, are as remarkable here as in her Old Bear. All the toy characters are back, helping Little Bear locate lost trousers, which everyone has used differently: Camel as hump-warmers, Rabbit as a holey ski hat, Dog as a two-bone bone-holder, among others. Little Bear despairs but finds that his trousers are now Bramwell Brown's icing baghe's frosting a cake. The cake is dubbedrather arbitrarily, it seemsTrousers Day Cake, and Little Bear is soothed. That forgiveably weak ending is offset by the snug household scenes the friends inhabit; the rooms aren't scaled down, so there's a perfectly delightful depiction of Rabbit skiing down a slick bannister on tongue depressors. From the nubby terry-cloth towel to the pearl stitches of a knit hat and shiny chrome faucets, Hissey's world makes readers believe that Old Bear could be just around the next corner. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1 One morning, Little Bear wakes to find his trousers missing, so he goes from one stuffed-animal friend to another in search of them. Each time, he's one step behind, finding that his clothing has been used and passed along: Sailor tried them as sails for his boat, Rabbit as a hat, with plenty of room for his ears, etc. Finally, Little Bear re trieves his trousers from Bramwell Brown, who has converted them to a double-barreled icing bag to decorate the cake he's baked. All share the cake in celebration of the trousers' return. This is a playful extension of the imaginative game of taking an object and finding various uncustomary uses. It's an idea that works better visually than it does in words, and the pictures here stand out in their near photo-realism and their dimen sionality. Those are real toys on the page, fiber by fiber, but at the same time, they look quite reasonably capable of moving and talking. It's just the visual represen tation of the life that small children can breathe into their toys, and the close-up perspective adds to the sense of realism. The illustrations are the strength of the book; the text repeats information found in them, belaboring the point, and it has its precious moments. It's fun to look at, especially with those pleasantly vibrant colors. Karen Litton, Confederation Centre Public Library, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback
• Publisher: Puffin (November 12, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0698113950
• ISBN-13: 978-0698113954
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 2.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,070,045 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GET THIS BOOK!, June 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Bear's Trousers board book (Jane Hissey's Old Bear and Friends) (Hardcover)

This book is a must-have for all parents of young children. I know it will become a family favorite in your family as it has in mine. It is one of the few picture books I have kept on my shelf (I'm 14 now)because of how special it is; I could never give it up. I don't think anyone would be able to say anything bad about this book. It has amazing illustrations. They are super cute, colorful, and life-like. The story is about a teddy bear who awakens to find that his trousers have been misplaced. He goes around all day asking his friends if they have seen them. They all say the same thing- they were using them (for some very unique purposes) but when they were finished with them they let someone else use them. Finaly Little Bear catches up with his pants and it's worth the wait. If you decide to purchase this book pick up a couple more of Jane Hissey's Old Bear stories, you won't be dissapionted in any of them.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Little Bear's Trousers is a visual delight and very sweet, July 15, 1999

By 

Gay A. Koenemann (Bonn, Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little Bear's Trousers (Paperback)

Our (hard copy) of, Little Bear's Trousers, has been read dozens of times! The illustrations are extraordinary, and the creative uses Little Bear's friends make of his trousers are inventive and practical! The story has a joyful ending wherein all the friends can celebrate not only the return of Little Bear's trousers but some time together enjoying a bit of cake. The ONLY complaint I would make about this book (and which was actually pointed out to me by my six 1/2 year old daughter) is that of the nine characters, only two are female. We, however, have rectified this situation by granting them a new sexual status virtually everytime we read this book. Both of my kids (one boy, one girl) adore this book and have for years. Highly recommeded!

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Story, April 5, 2010

By 

Terri A. Ward "Children's Author" (Germantown, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little Bear's Trousers board book (Jane Hissey's Old Bear and Friends) (Hardcover)

Jane hissey has a great way of bringing humor and feeling into this book. I found myself laughing more than once. Today, in this throw-away world, it was fun and refreshing to see that one pair of trousers could be used for so many things! This could lead to some great discussions of reusing things at home. The illustrations are soft and beautiful. Very nice book! Terri "Hunter" Ward, author of One Starry Night and Aunt Tami's Strawberry Farm.