I Lost My Bear [Paperback]

Jules Feiffer (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 8, 2000 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

It's not under the bed, or on the chair, or beneath the couch, or behind the curtains. It's GONE!

What do you do when your favorite toy disappears, and you can't find it where you left it? What if your family is NO help at all? A determined little detective heads up the search, and discovers more than she ever expected!

00-01 Young Reader's Choice Award Program Masterlist

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Who among us does not recall the sheer anguish caused by the loss of a treasured toy? For a child, misplacing a faithful stuffed friend can feel like the very solar system has gone off kilter. The illustrious Jules Feiffer perfectly captures this sense of utter panic and despair in the thoroughly delightful, I Lost My Bear, a story about a towheaded girl who engages in less-than-scientific detective work to find her absent teddy bear.

At her mother's suggestion, the girl decides to retrace her steps to figure out where she last played with the cherished bear. Anyone who has children can imagine what a labyrinthine path her search takes. First she looks under the bed, and although this crawl-space is overflowing with toys, there is no bear. Then she removes nearly every book from the bookshelf, to no avail. On and on she goes, aided by advice from her annoyed-yet-helpful older sister, until she stumbles upon so many other long-forgotten toys she loses sight of her objective entirely.

Feiffer has created such masterpieces of playful wit as Meanwhile and A Barrel of Laughs, a Vale of Tears, and continues his reign of artful comedy here. His comic-strip-style illustrations (complete with speech bubbles) are delectably squiggly, scratchy, and sketchy but at the same time precise, expressive, and alive with motion. If you haven't introduced your favorite kids to Feiffer's genius before, this book gives you the perfect, hilarious excuse. (Click to see a sample spread. Illustrations © 1998 by Jules Feiffer. Permission by Morrow Junior Books.) (Ages 4 to 8) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?A picture book with lots of child appeal. When a young girl loses her best toy, she plays detective to find it. After consulting other family members to no avail, she follows her sister's suggestion to throw another stuffed animal on the chance that it will land in the same place. The ploy uncovers lots of other lost items but no bear. The mystery is solved when the child goes to bed and her mother lifts up the covers. Hand-lettered text, dialogue balloons, and the breezy line of Feiffer's recognizable style of illustration form the perfect vehicle for this familiar story. The first-person voice realistically conveys the narrator's emotions and dilemma in a way to which children will relate. Effective use of comic-strip panels and frames along with double-page spreads heighten the tension and build to the satisfying conclusion. Both girl and story are winners.?Julie Cummins, New York Public Library
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (August 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688177220
• ISBN-13: 978-0688177225
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #163,430 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jules Feiffer lives in New York City with his wife, Jenny. Along with being a famed cartoonist, Feiffer is also the author of numerous novels, children's books, plays and screenplays, including Carnal Knowledge, Harry, The Rat with Women and Little Murders, which was made into a celebrated movie.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Parent's alert, June 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: I Lost My Bear (Hardcover)

We borrowed this book from the library, and my son loved it. He began playacting that he'd lost his bear after one read and asked to hear the story frequently. A word of caution, though: the book contains the script "If you lose my [stuffed toy], I'll kill you!" You can change the dialog, as we did when we read it -- but if it troubles you, you might want to reconsider buying this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An adorable book, September 25, 2001

By 

Wayne Steinhardt (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Lost My Bear (Paperback)

This book is truly a gem. A little child has lost her bear, her favorite stuffed animal. The book follows her trail as she tries to find the lost toy. She searches high and low, but her ursine companion is nowhere to be found. Of course, her reactions are all overblown (as all kids' reactions are). I don't want to give away the ending; but suffice it to say, if you have kids (or have been one), you can see the ending coming from a mile away. Even so, the book is a delight to read and will surely bring a smile to anyone who has the slightest love of children.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My New Favorite Book, October 13, 1999

By 

Ruth Howard (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Lost My Bear (Hardcover)

Simply said, this is my new favorite book. My kids are 6, 4, 2, and 4 months. We checked it out from the library and now I am giving it to all the children on my Christmas list, (plus buying a copy for myself.) I love reading it to my kids. It is told from the child's perspective perfectly.