In only five words -- four of which are in the title -- Kate Greenaway Medalist Emily Gravett presents a delightful picture book that is "simple and stunning" (The Guardian), and "daring, original, and a joy" (Sunday Times, London).
Orange Pear Apple Bear (Classic Board Books)
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 1—A plump brown bear adds a humorous touch to this charming book about shapes, colors, and sequence. Five words, four of which appear in the title, make up the entire text. The cuddly-looking bear changes color and shape as he balances, juggles, and eventually eats the three pieces of fruit before loping off. The front endpapers show oranges, green pears, and green apples with rosy tinges in a line leading readers into the simple and appealing story. The endpapers at the close reveal the telltale remains: an orange peel and the apple and pear cores. Beautiful, softly hued watercolor illustrations loosely outlined in black pen and ink are delightful. Children and adults alike will relish this delectable book.—Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Choose five words; paint pictures for words; mix with charm; create original and imaginative book. Voilà—a picture book that exemplifies simplicity at its most creative and entertaining. The four words of the title, combined in various ways, form a visual tale as a bear juggles, interacts with, and ultimately eats an orange, pear, and apple. Stark white backgrounds set off Gravett's loosely brushed watercolor pictures of animal and fruit, which play off of the staccato words to demonstrate how punctuation and intonation can dramatically alter meanings: Apple, Pear goes with an image of stacked fruit, while Orange Bear shows the animal puzzling over his citrus-hued fur. Though the book's design appears artless, it is quite the opposite, skillfully juxtaposing page layouts to maximize the humor of the wordplay. Ideal for prereaders and helpful to those ready to write stories of their own, this will make children laugh and learn as they follow the bear's antics and chant the rhymed sequences of words. Cummins, Julie
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More About the Author
Emily Gravett is the author and illustrator of Spells, The Odd Egg, Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears (winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal), Monkey and Me and Meerkat Mail. Her first book, Wolves, was the winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal and the Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Award for Illustration. Her second book, Orange Pear Apple Bear, a Quills Award finalist and on the shortlist for the Kate Greenaway Medal, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year. Emily lives in Brighton, England, with her partner, their daughter, and the family dog.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Emily Gravett, Orange Pear Apple Bear (Simon and Schuster, 2005)
I love Emily Gravett. Wolves is one of the best children's books I've ever come across, and so when I found out Orange Pear Apple Bear was getting an American release, I immediately signed on. This one's almost as fun, though not nearly as dark; not surprisingly, it's all about an orange, a pear, an apple, and a bear. The drawings are brash and fun, and the preschool set should love them. Adults probably won't be as amused by it as by Wolves, but get used to it, 'cause your three-year-old will get a real kick out of it. And deservedly so, 'cause it's a lot of fun. ****
I love Emily Gravett. Wolves is one of the best children's books I've ever come across, and so when I found out Orange Pear Apple Bear was getting an American release, I immediately signed on. This one's almost as fun, though not nearly as dark; not surprisingly, it's all about an orange, a pear, an apple, and a bear. The drawings are brash and fun, and the preschool set should love them. Adults probably won't be as amused by it as by Wolves, but get used to it, 'cause your three-year-old will get a real kick out of it. And deservedly so, 'cause it's a lot of fun. ****
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a must have for every library. Beautiful watercolor illustrations, fun story, simple patterns. Adored by my 10 month old and her 5 yr old sis.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
While browsing B&N I came across this book and was instantly smitten by the adorable quizzical look on the bear's face on the cover. With only five simple words this book is surprisingly engaging, endearing, and humorous. This book is an excellent reminder of the pure innocence and preciousness of childhood and the opportunity afforded by motherhood to see that which passes by the window of time and is forgotten all too quickly.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By dm
Format:Hardcover
I am an children's book author/illustrator and have looked at many picture books on my own and with my son. This is one of the few that stands out. Though exceedingly simple, this book is very rich. It is a primer on shape, color, language, and perhaps, mostly, on imagination. There is a lot to engage and to tickle young children. I wish I had done it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Mke Mom
Format:Hardcover
The pictures and idea are cute, however the entire book only consists of four words. My five year old wasn't interested in reading it more than once. It is a good book to read once from the library; I certainly wouldn't spend $10 on it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Ulyyf
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a cute book with a total of five words (orange, pear, apple, bear, there) in the whole thing.
It starts off just labeling objects, but then turns a bit surreal "Apple, pear, orange bear. Orange, pear, apple bear. Orange, apple, pear bear" and finally caves to the bear's appetite.
It's cute, it's sweet, little kids like it, and it's very short for those short attention spans.
It starts off just labeling objects, but then turns a bit surreal "Apple, pear, orange bear. Orange, pear, apple bear. Orange, apple, pear bear" and finally caves to the bear's appetite.
It's cute, it's sweet, little kids like it, and it's very short for those short attention spans.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
My Stepson is just starting to learn to read and this is the first book he was able to read by himself after I read the title to him a couple of times- All but one word in the book is in the title. The illustrations are beautiful and totally helped him figure out each word on the page. It's a sweet,, funny, fun books for little ones. We got it at our public library and my stepson loved it so much, we had to buy it. He even asked his teacher if he could read it to his class! This is a kid who is quite shy- but this book inspired him and his desire to learn to read. Wonderful. Emily Gravett's other books are also delightful. Check out MOnkey and Me for amazing illustrations an sweet easy story.
By Monica Chen
Format:Board book|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this based on the positive reviews and was a little disappointed when we first got it. The illustrations are simple and beautiful, but I didn't think the "story" would hold my daughters attention. Well, I was wrong. She loves the bear and yells as soon as she sees him. We read the book at least once per day. So, I was wrong. The only thing I still don't like is that it is a heavy board book for little hands. She has a difficult time picking it up and bringing it to me when she wants to read it.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lovely and witty illustrations
I found this book on a list of books that every baby should have and bought it as a shower gift. I wouldn't recommend it that highly, but it is a charming book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Susan Dillon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love the simplicity of this book. One of our favorites
Received this book as a gift for my kiddo and then bought three more to give as gifts. Great for all ages from young toddler to older toddler, for it's easy to "read," for... Read more
Published 3 months ago by April
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic children's book
My boys love this book (ages 4, 2, and infant). It keeps their attention and they love the illustrations. I also love that it is a board book. It is very durable.
Published 7 months ago by Tex
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book for small kids!
Love this book! My son loves the silly pictures and the repetition of the book. He is 3 now, and pretends to read the book to his little sister, who is 6 months old. Read more
Published 9 months ago by MamaSteph
5.0 out of 5 stars
Emily Gravett always gets you thinking
My big kids are fans of Emily Gravett's "Wolves" and also "Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears." She has an oddball sense of humor that appeals to everyone in the family, and her... Read more
Published 10 months ago by M. Heiss
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for babies, toddlers and preschoolers
This book is very simple, but the rhythm is great and it's fun to read. It's got beautiful illustrations for the babies to enjoy, a few words for the toddlers to learn, and some... Read more
Published 24 months ago by D. Prieto
4.0 out of 5 stars
Only five words
Only five words are used throughout this book, and what's fun is to see that the meanings change depending on how the words are arranged. Read more
Published on March 10, 2011 by A. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars
terrific baby book or lesson in punctuation?
I use this book when I teach "eXciting eXpressions" my unit focusing on punctuation. The placement of the commas or lack thereof completely changes the meaning of the words. Read more
Published on September 11, 2010 by ninalee
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very limited vocabulary expansion...
Buy this book if you think the cost is worth your kid learning the words "Orange" "Pear" "Apple" and "Bear," because those are just about the only words in it.
Published on September 3, 2010 by Lauraness
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Beginner Book
I picked this book up on a whim for my son. He loved being able to read it and wanted to read it multiple times. He is just learning how to read. Read more
Published on June 10, 2010 by Lover of Books
