Little Polar Bear, Take Me Home! [Hardcover]

Hans de Beer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1996 | Age Level: 2 and up

In his earlier adventures, Lars, the little polar bear, has often been lost far from home, and each time, someone has helped him get back safely. Now, it's Lars's turn to help when a little tiger named Sasha finds himself lost and alone at the North Pole. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-Boredom drives little polar bear, Lars, to scrounge in the dump behind the polar research station in search of a tasty snack. He spreads out these morsels beside a railroad car to devour them in peace, but they immediately disappear. A quick peek into the boxcar reveals the thief. Poor Sasha, a Siberian tiger cub who had been on a journey to see the ocean, is lost, very hungry, and terribly homesick. Lars listens to his tale of woe, having learned through his own adventures that everyone can use a helping hand now and then. Sasha's desire to see the ocean puzzles Lar, though, because it bores him so. He helps Sasha get back home, traveling a great distance by train, on foot, and camelback before the cub's nose tells him they're in Siberia, where his parents greet them. Father Tiger sees it as his duty to return the favor and return Lars home safely, taking his son with him so he can see the ocean at last. Father Tiger declares, "There's nothing finer," giving Lars a fresh appreciation for his homeland. Although this is not a snappy page-turner, it is a sweet tale about caring and sharing, encouragement, appreciation, and cooperation. Detailed watercolor illustrations complement the text by providing the needed definitions of distance and travel conditions. A good bedtime selection for sweet dreams.
Susan Garland, Maynard Public Library,
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-7. In the fourth entry in a sunny picture-book series, the little polar bear helps a Siberian tiger cub named Sasha find his way home. Lars and Sasha travel together through the forest, across the plains, and over the river until they reach their destination. The writing style is plain, the plot is full of action, and the winsome artwork is as attractive as ever. What's especially nice is that the North Pole is shown not as a barren landscape of snow and ice but as a place where there is a railroad and a research station with a dump just right for a hungry cub. With good friends willing to help along the way and loving parents waiting when you get back home, young kids will see that it's okay to venture out into the world. Julie Corsaro

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: North-South / Night Sky Books; First Edition edition (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155858630X
• ISBN-13: 978-1558586307
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,724,836 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 Lars Is On Another Adventure, August 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Polar Bear, Take Me Home! (Hardcover)

It's hard to resist this beautifully illustrated series about Lars, the Little Polar Bear. In this edition, Lars meets Sasha, a tiger, and they both have to find their way home after stowing away on a Russian train. Along the way they discover each of their natural talents, and there's a nice message about appreciation for parents, the ocean, and each person's unique abilities. Not sure how accurate the geography is, but it doesn't really matter. The introduction of different animals and scenery is what makes the books so appealing. All of these stories have a happy ending. My son likes to roar and point to the tiger and bear on each page.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, December 3, 2007

By 

A. D. Cox (northern PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Little Polar Bear, Take Me Home! (Paperback)

My nephews love all the little polar bear series by Hans de Beer, and so do I. Great illustrations, he meets animals that he makes friends with, and a nice ending. I'd can recommend them all.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" editor "Of A Predatory Heart"

4.0 out of 5 stars Little Polar Bear..., October 14, 2007

By 

Sarah Sammis "Avid BookCrosser" (Hayward, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little Polar Bear, Take Me Home! (Paperback)

Little Polar Bear, Take Me Home is one of a series of children's books featuring the adventures of Lars the polar bear. Lars even has his own series of cartoons in Germany.

When I first saw the book I immediately (and mistakenly) thought Alaska for the setting and thought perhaps the tiger on the cover was escaped from a zoo or a circus. He's neither; he's a wild tiger from presumably India who has accidentally hitched a ride on a freight train to the arctic circle.

Lars, who is looking for a snack and a bit of adventure, finds the tiger at the end of the line and in the course of trying to help the tiger find his way home ends up on the return trip of the train. From there in typical children's book fashion, the two animals must enlist the aid of other animals as they travel through far and distant lands on their search for the tiger's home.