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The Biggest Bear (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Johnny Orchard lived on the farm farthest up the valley and closest to the woods..." (more)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
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  Hardcover, May 31, 1952 $10.88 $3.12 $0.25
  Paperback, March 14, 1973 $6.95 $2.99 $0.01
  Mass Market Paperback, December 31, 1962 -- -- $0.59
  Audio, Cassette, June 30, 1988 -- $32.08 $5.25
  Unknown Binding, December 31, 1986 -- -- $7.39
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Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

The Biggest Bear + The Little House
Price For Both: $21.28

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  • This item: The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Some of his best pictures supplement the story . . . An outstanding book in every way." -- Review


Review

"Some of his best pictures supplement the story . . . An outstanding book in every way." Horn Book

"Some of his best pictures supplement the story . . . An outstanding book in every way." Horn Book Guide
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Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 4-8
  • Hardcover: 88 pages
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; 1ST edition (June 1, 1952)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0395148065
  • ISBN-13: 978-0395148068
  • Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #152,683 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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More About the Author

Lynd Ward
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Johnny Orchard lived on the farm farthest up the valley and closest to the woods. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

16 Reviews
5 star:
 (11)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, August 3, 2000
By A Customer
I came online to purchase this book for my daughter and thought I would check out what this book meant to other people and was shocked by the sensitivity that is present in today's society. Having grown up being read this book 25 years ago I carry lessons from this book to this day. I haven't read it since then, listen to what I got from it:

Johnny brings a wild animal into the community against the better judgement of family and neighbors. The bear is lovable but a nuisance animal and Johnny is forced to take the responsibility (shoot the bear) even though it is something he really, really doesn't want to do. (At this point I would interject, I always felt Johnny was older than I as he was allowed to carry guns. My parents always taught me to respect firearms. I was not allowed to be around guns without supervision until I was 16, even then it was only with permision.) The bear being saved by the zoo taught me that he didn't really check all of his options before trying to take care of the situation. I can still hear my mom telling me to "make sure and look into things, maybe you can figure out something better."

In a nutshell, I got responsibility for my actions, do all my research to resolve problems, and wild animals are wild animals.

To stick with me as long as it has, it must be entertaining and well written. I can't wait to pass it on to my little girl.

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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Oh sure it LOOKS cute and cuddly..., December 6, 2004
In the November/December 2004 issue of Horn Book Magazine (a title that discusses children's literature with aplomb) there was an article in which an author sobbed at the lack of positive hunting images in picture books and children's novels. I thought through this argument, but since I don't really come from a rural hunting family myself, I guess I never considered this to be a bad thing. Thoughts of this nature surfaced yet again when I picked up Lynd Ward's 1952 Caldecott winning picture book, "The Biggest Bear". A surprisingly sly cautionary tale about the dangers that accompany removing wild animals from their habitats, the book definitely shows a hunting happy family in a positive light. Fortunately, it also considers the consequences that come when you set off to kill something for no reason.

Johnny Orchard's deeply ashamed. Take a look at any barn in the urrounding area and what do you find? A bearhide hanging on its side. Take a look at the Orchard's barn and what do you find there? Nuthin'. While Johnny listens with awe to the tales other men tell of finding and killing bears, his own grandfather ADMITS that on the one occasion he saw a bear he ran as fast as his legs could carry him away from it. Taking matters into his own hands, little Johnny picks up his gun and goes into the forest to kill the biggest bear he can find. As it turns out, the biggest bear he can find is not very big at all. Just a baby. With new eyes Johnny adopts the cuddly furball and takes it into his home. Before long, however, it becomes clear that this is not a bear that is meant to live in a home and Johnny must make the ultimate sacrifice to keep it away.

I'll give away a little of the ending here so as to put your mind at rest. No, Johnny does not pull an "Old Yeller" on his fuzzy companion. He tries to though. Fortunately he's stopped at the last minute and the bear is taken to a zoo to live. Happy ending for all, despite the fact that we're talking about 1950s type tiny-zoos. This is an excellent book for any kid that has ever wanted to have an inappropriate pet of their very own, whether it be wild baby raccoons, rabbits, bears, or foxes. The story shows how domesticated animals can be more trouble than they're worth.... especially bears.

So Ward's book has a clear cut message and a delightful narrative voice. And how're the pictures? Well, they're top notch. Drawn entirely in black and white (with undulating shades of gray around the shadows and details) the pictures in this story are too lifelike to be called cartoony and too cartoony to be called lifelike. Plus, the action sequences in this tale are realistic enough to convince you of their fast pace. Personally, I was most impressed by the facial expressions of the bear. I don't want to give you the impression that Mr. Ward has done anything but make this bear appear vividly bear-like. Still, sometimes the animal gets looks in his eyes that strike you as funny. There's a part where Johnny has attempted to free the bear, only to find it in his backyard a day or two later. In one of these instances the bear appears behind a row of pigs who're poised over a slops trough. The pigs look disgruntled and a little worried that their food is about to be taken from them. The bear, on his part, has a world-weary expression of an animal that could patiently wait for food forever. I place it amongst one of the greatest picture book illustrations in the history of the form.

Unlike other old-timey Caldecott winners like "Make Way For Ducklings" or "The Snowy Day", "The Biggest Bear" has been mostly forgotten. This is a real shame since it's a truly interesting story that has a lot to say to us, even today. It's not flashy and colorful and it's method of spinning a tale won't knock your socks off. It's just a really enjoyable story about a boy, his bear, and taking responsibility for your actions. A great tale to this very day.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Alaskan Family Loves This Book, May 26, 1999
By A Customer
Our 2 1/2 year old son had the words memorized within a week of checking this book out from the library. It's wonderful. We live in a rural community where the black bear is a respected, everyday part of our lives. Just yesterday I shooed one away from our porch; problems are not common. Yes, we do hunt and provide food for our families, just as in the story. This book is wonderful and captures in text and artwork the many aspects of living rurally. It is truly a treasured book in our home.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable classic
This hardcover book is great. I love the story and the detailed pictuers are amazing. The simplicity of another era comes through, and the friendship with the bear is... Read more
Published on March 31, 2007 by World Traveler

5.0 out of 5 stars SORT OF LIKE THE YEARLING WITH A SEMI-HAPPY ENDING
This is certainly a well illustrated children's book. The crisp illustrations are well done, and unlike so many books of this genre, the pictures actually match the story line... Read more
Published on May 5, 2006 by D. Blankenship

5.0 out of 5 stars i really love this book
this book is realy good and the best book i have ever read.
Published on December 7, 2005 by jimmie

5.0 out of 5 stars "Will you read this to me?"
You know you have a winner when your son (who doesn't really like books) asks that question.

The storyline is cute and the illustrations are nice. Read more

Published on February 14, 2004 by Miss Tresninos

1.0 out of 5 stars A story about a child who must shoot and kill his friend.
Should a father allow his young son to take a bear cub in from the wild and raise it as a pet? When the animal gets too wild and too unruly for domestic life (think of the animal... Read more
Published on October 22, 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars I don't know what to say- this book is awesome!
Johnny is determined to find a bear; the BIGGEST bear, and kill it. He plans to tack the skin on the barn so everyone can see it. Read more
Published on May 26, 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars From Bear Hunter to Bear Protector
This book was awarded the Caldecott Medal as the best illustrated children's book of 1953. The Biggest Bear was illustrator Lynd Ward's first attempt to write and illustrate a... Read more
Published on April 26, 2001 by Professor Donald Mitchell

2.0 out of 5 stars Proceed with caution...
I purchased this book on the recommendation given by Jim Trelease in "The Read Aloud Handbook." This book was given as an example of a book he would read when trying... Read more
Published on January 24, 2000 by Carole Burrage

4.0 out of 5 stars A boy raises a bear to maturity and grows up himself.
This children's book is about a boy living on a farm who finds a bear cub and raises him. But, the bear grows to a very large size and becomes somewhat of a pest to the neighbors... Read more
Published on May 13, 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars One thing leads to another.
Delightfully lured from page to page with graphicly illustrated adventure. An experience for the boys to fantasize about on an overnight outing with the guys.
Published on November 21, 1998

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