The Mystery Bear: A Purim Story [Hardcover]

Leone Adelson (Author), Naomi Howland (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

When Little Bear wakes up from hibernation and goes off in search of something to eat, the smells of a delicious feast draw him to a nearby house. The people inside are having a wonderful time and are delighted to welcome the stranger in a bear costume—after all, it’s Purim, when lots of people dress up! Little Itzik suspects that the stranger might actually be a real bear, but everyone else is having too much fun to pay attention to his warnings. The comical story and Naomi Howland’s bright, jolly illustrations capture the noisy and cheerful spirit of a favorite holiday, which falls on March 25 in 2005. Includes an Author’s Note about the celebration of Purim.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3–When Little Bear wakes up early from hibernation, he is hungry. He follows his nose to where a family is celebrating Purim with a lively parade outside their home. He is invited to join them, and they all marvel at his clever costume. Everyone has an idea of which villager might be disguised beneath the fur–except a boy named Itzik. He is wearing a bear suit, and repeatedly insists that their guest is a real animal, but no one believes him. Hours of food, drink, and dancing later, Little Bear nods off just before the Purim play is to start. Various people prod him to join in until finally he wakens with a loud roar and shows his big teeth. All of the partygoers flee, including Little Bear, who stumbles home for the rest of his long nap. With a muted palette and folksy touches, Howland's appealing gouache paintings perfectly capture the flavor of the Jewish festivities that signal the end of winter. A note explains the history of the festival of Purim. Children will appreciate the fun of a family gathering with an uninvited and unexpected guest and will enjoy learning more about the holiday.–Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. When Little Bear wakes from months of hibernation, he's hungry, so when he smells delicious food cooking, he makes his way toward a house by the river, where he sees a parade of people dressed in costumes, singing, playing music, and carrying delicious food for the Jewish holiday of Purim. Assuming Little Bear is a child in a costume, they welcome him, and he grabs pawfuls of honey, raisins, and hamantaschen as they try to convince him to take part in the Purim play. The boy Itzik warns the people that they are dealing with a real, dangerous bear, but no one listens--until . . . The gouache-and-watercolor pictures are clear and festive, evoking an old-fashioned shtetl setting with the universal family holiday uproar, and kids will relish the confusion of the make-believe and the real. A long, interesting note discusses the holiday, its history, and its celebration today. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (October 18, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618337253
• ISBN-13: 978-0618337255
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #206,727 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Religious
  • #46 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Religious Fiction > Jewish

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars learned something new, June 29, 2005

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Mystery Bear: A Purim Story (Hardcover)

The little bear in the story has just awokefrom his hibernation. He goes out of the woods in search of some food. He finds himself at a home where there is a Purim celebration going on. The people see the bear and think that he must be just a child dressed up for the parade. They invite him in the house for a feast. After eating so much food the bear is ready for a nap. The family tries to wake him so he can take part in the play. He gives a loud growl and they find out he is a real bear!



What did you like or not like about the book?

I had never heard of Purim before. The note in the back explained the holiday well.