Customer Reviews

The Ring Bear

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This highly original book by author David Michael Slater is a fascinating picture book that enthralled me from cover to cover, even as it captivated children all around the world. Published by Flashlight Press, one of my favorite children's publishing houses, the book is geared for children ages 4-8, a category I love to read.

The Ring Bear has a little bit of everything: love, joy, anger, fear, family unity, humor, adventure and much more. It deals with the serious subject of parental remarriage. The main character is a young boy named Westley who is used to his mother being a single parent and has adjusted to life without a father. His world is turned upside down when she decides to remarry.

In order to help her son with his objection to the marriage and assuage his anger and fear, his mother tells him he's going to be the ring bearer at the wedding--hoping this will make him feel more secure. Westley thinks she said "ring bear," so he comes to the wedding dressed as a bear and tries to scare everyone away.

That's when the problems--and the fun--begin. What happens then? How do the wedding guests react? How do his mother and Stan, his future stepfather, take it? Is there a happy solution to this problem, a situation that sadly happens more and more often in today's world? If so, how does it happen? Will the troubled boy finally come to realize how much his mother loves him and learn to trust her? And what does Stan do to break the ice with Westley?

Obviously, I can't tell you any more without spoiling the plot, but I can tell you that despite the serious theme, this is a book that has many giggles for you and your little ones. It's a warm-hearted book that will tug at your heart-strings ... as you cry one minute, laugh the next.

Slater makes his characters so believable you will feel like you are there with them, and no one will be able to forget the mischievous, yet endearing Westley. The colorful, charming illustrations by talented artist S. G. Brooks enhance the story-line, helping bring it even more alive.

This unusual wedding adventure is a touching book which will be helpful for children whose parents are remarrying. I recommend it highly. If you feel the same, look for Grandfather's Wrinkles, Grandpa for Sale, and Carla's Sandwich ... other releases by this same popular publisher whose editor has the uncanny ability to know what children enjoy reading.

Review by: Betty Dravis, 2008
author of The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley

David Michael Slater is a Language Arts teacher who has a unique way of expressing magical realism from a child's perspective. It goes a little beyond imagination and the characters play out fantasy situations and become pirates.

Westley is a young child struggling with the idea of his mother remarrying and when she asks him to be the ring bearer, he thinks she wants him to be a "Ring Bear." He is very upset and decides to ruin her plans. He doesn't like Stan because he seems to lack the playful imagination Westley thrives on.

As he acts out his frustration, he becomes a bear or a pirate and through his imaginary world he undergoes a psychological metamorphosis. You can really feel his initial anger and jealousy.

The last few pages are heartwarming and as Stan realizes he has to play Westley's creative game he calls out:

"Captain, there's a bear stowed away on our ship!"

Westley looks up and as he runs down the isle, he transforms from a bear into a loveable and dutiful son.

If you enjoy this book, look for:

The Only One Club
Carla's Sandwich
Holly Bloom's Garden

~The Rebecca Review

In this warm and beautifully illustrated book, children get a realistic look at how it feels to have a parent re-marry. The main character, Westley, knows his mom loves him; but what about Stan, her fiancé? The author shows how confused a child can be when a new stepparent enters his life. The author does this in a way that is engaging for both adults and children. In the end, "The Ring Bear" provides children with hope about the potential for feeling loved and accepted by a new stepparent.

The Ring Bear: A Rascally Wedding Adventure is a children's picturebook that deals with a serious theme. A young boy is used to living with just his mother; he doesn't want a stepfather, yet she is getting married and anxious to show him that he will always be a beloved member of the new blended family. He is to be the ring bearer, but he hears it as "ring bear" and decides to dress up as a bear to scare everyone away! The captivating illustrations by S. G. Brooks tell of the struggle to bridge rifts of fear and mistrust with enduring love, in this original, warmhearted, and highly recommended story by David Michael Slater.

When I came across Cheese Louise, I was amazed it hadn't been a huge hit. My son, Sam, loves it, and so does every other kid I know who has seen it. Then I found out that the publisher failed to get it reviewed almost anywhere. If this new book doesn't bring both to national attention, I'll be flabbergasted. The Ring Bear is going to be one of those books they (admittedly somewhat annoyingly) call "an instant classic."

The Ring Bear gently and humorously shows a young child's confused and angry feelings about his mother's remarriage. It wonderfully portrays how the child only knows that he feels angry. He acts out his anger because the feelings are too complex for him to put into words. Great book for children, parents and therapists.

I find it extremely important to buy books that not only entertain the little people in my life, but myself as well! David Slater's second book, The Ring Bear, is another excellent example of his ability to portray easily relatable experiences in an insightful and humorous manner, satisfying both children and adults. The Ring Bear and Cheese Louise now reside on my shelf, so when's the next one comming out?

Remarriage can be hard on youngsters and this book helps with the struggles your child might be going through. Colorful, honest, and playful, my kids and I enjoyed it because it hit home!

In just two books, this author has distinguished himself from among the hundreds I read constantly with my children. My kids LOVE Cheese Louise. They find it hilarious, but the thing is, I find it even funnier than they do because the humor is on multiple levels. My kids were utterly absorbed by The Ring Bear, but I am even more amazed by its depth. It's an adventure story, a fantasy, and a family drama deftly packaged and gorgeously illustrated. It communicates wisdom without a shred of didacticism. I think Slater has a singular talent for writing picture books every bit as pleasing to adults as children. I think this means kids will cherish his books as they grow older because their readings of his work will mature as they do. Bravo!

This book is just beautiful. There is so much going on: pirates, bears, Westley's misunderstanding of the phrase "ring bearer." It's a lot to juggle, but the author manages it with real aplomb. What seems like it could feel forced and unlikely winds up feeling inevitable and true. This author genuinely captures a boy's feelings of dismay at the impending disruption of the cozy world he and his mother so imaginatively inhabit, and the ending he pulls off is a touching and satisfying surprise. The illustrator seems to have really taken to heart the many levels of story-telling here. He's really given the tale depth and richness. I won't be a bit surprised to see this book win awards for both text and pictures.