Touch the Sky, My Little Bear [Hardcover]

David Bedford (Author), Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001 | Grade Level: P and up

Seldom has the caring and the guidance of a mother and the curiosity and trust of a child been so tenderly depicted as in this generously sized and beautiful picture book set in the far off Artic. A young polar bear, just out of infancy, asks his mother, "What is it like to be big?" With infinite patience, his mother shows him what to expect as he grows--how he will one day run like the wind, jump as high as a bird, and dive and swim like a fish. He will be so tall he will almost touch the sky! In the Artic world created by Jane Chapman's subtly hued, glowing paintings, the love between mother and child shines forth.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-A mother and baby polar bear explore what it means to be grown-up. They run, swim, play, and do everyday bear things. "`Will I feel as if I can touch the sky and run as fast as the wind and swim like a fish?' asked Little Bear. `Yes,' said Mama Bear. `That is what happens when little bears grow big.'" The text has a gentle tone yet it is simultaneously enthusiastic about the prospect of adventuring in the grown-up world. The loving relationship depicted will reinforce that bond between the adult and child sharing this story. Most of the illustrations are large double-page spreads set in the stark arctic landscape. Aside from white ice formations and the bears themselves, the painterly images are done in soothing shades of lilac, turquoise, and mint. Both bears have varied facial expressions that reinforce the plot. The story and the illustrations will be a joy to share one-on-one or in a toddler storytime.-Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 3-5. Little Bear, a polar bear, is growing, and as he helps Mama Bear enlarge their snowy den, he wonders aloud, "What is it like to be big?" Mama proceeds to show him what being "grown-up" feels like. As Little Bear rides high on Mama's shoulders, races with her across the snow, and holds on tight as she dives into icy waters, he equates being grown-up with touching the sky, flying like a bird, and swimming like a fish. The full-page gouache paintings portray a snowy world of translucent blues and pinks, but the universal aspects of the story--the closeness between mother and child and the thrill of growing up--are compromised by a style that characterizes and illustrates Mama and Little Bear as greeting-card bears rather than the wild bears the setting suggests. Amy Brandt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929766203
• ISBN-13: 978-1929766208
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,158,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I wanted to be a professional soccer player for a long time, but I didn't make it. I liked school too, though, and my favourite subject was biology - so I became a biologist. I had a job at Stanford University, where I worked in a lab, wore a lab coat, and made new antibiotics. I was heading towards being a Professor, but I changed my mind and became a writer instead.

I write picture books for younger children, and a soccer series ('The Team') for older children. The Team has got great football players AND a Professor in it.

I grew up in England where I still live with my family, by the sea in Norfolk.

My favourite books:

A Ladybird book of 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff' started me off. I used to copy out the story, one painful letter at a time. I would underline in felt pen the words in the book I had copied.

When I was older I was hooked on 'The Famous Five' stories, but I also liked Annuals like 'Whizzer and Chips' and 'Monster Fun', and I had some great graphic novels about Dracula. At school we read 'Stig of the Dump', 'The Hobbit', 'Moonfleet', and 'To Kill a Mockingbird', all of which I still enjoy and admire. These books made me love stories and reading - and I was speechless when, not so long ago, I met the author of Stig!