2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
What is the moral of this story?, January 18, 2005
In this story Moonbear and his friend bird see a kangaroo. Upon seeing the animal (who has escaped from the zoo), they decide they are dreaming. They go into their house and wreck it with abandon -- eating their winter supplies of food and breaking things. Then they go for a swim. Meanwhile the zookeeper tracks down the kangaroo and comes upon the house, which has been wrecked, not by the zoo animal, but rather by the bear and the bird. The zookeeper cleans up the mess. Bear and bird then return to face a cleaned up house. Every time I read this book to my child I can't help but think that the message is that actions don't have consequences. That is the opposite lesson I want my 3 year old learning.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Okay, but not Moonbear's Best - a review of "Moonbear's Dream", October 22, 2007
This isn't my favorite Moonbear story but my son likes it (he just turned 5). The story begins with the unexpected appearance of a mama kangaroo and her joey in Moonbear's yard. The arrival strikes Moonbear and Little Bird as so odd that they conclude they must be dreaming. This determination then leads them to decide that they ought to have some outlandish 'dream fun'.
Dream-fun in this case means being rather naughty. Moonbear and Little Bird, for example, head for their favorite treats and make pigs of themselves. After which they make a huge mess. They are free to do so, they conclude, because all they will need to do to avoid the consequences is to pinch themselves and wake up.
The attraction of this story is probably the naughtiness and tension created when children begin to wonder what is really going to happen. Will the two friends finally realize that they aren't sleeping and have to face the realty of the mess they've left, or will they somehow be saved from that awful possibility? I won't ruin the fun by telling.
Three Stars. Good Read-aloud. Cute artwork. The story is filled with a few twists and turns that really small fry might not appreciate. In general it's not my favorite Moonbear story as it's a little bit of a stretch plot-wise. However my son likes it and if you have a Moonbear fan at home, you might consider adding it to your shelves.
As to reading level, I can only say that I am a little confused. While searching for the Accelerated Reading designation, I found not one but two numbers offered: the first 1.3, and the second 2.4. I don't know if this means Mr. Asch has two different versions of "Moonbear's Dream" in print or what. But the book we read seemed to me to be at the second grade (2.4) level. There is a middling amount of text and some more sophisticated words such as: escaped, pouch, wandered, probably, believe, scooping, and chuckled.
Pam T~
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Wonderful Frank Asch readable!, August 2, 2000
This review is from: MOONBEAR'S DREAM (Moonbear Books) (Hardcover)
I teach three year olds at a Day Care Center and Frank Asch is right up there with Eric Carle! My little ones sit enthralled as they listen and watch and then they LOVE discussing what happened! They LOVED they idea of wrecking the house yet some of them kept saying that "it isn't a dream"! The simplicity and honest childlike desires makes this another Frank Asch masterpiece! They still demand hearing HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOON every week! You can't go wrong with ANYTHING by Frank Asch!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
