Synopsis
Autumn has come to the woods, and Bear doesn't feel well. He sniffles and sneezes. He cannot sleep. He aches all over. Worst of all, he's feeling toopoorly to play with his friends.
How Bear's good friends take care of him with herbal tea and lullabies until hebegins to FEEL BETTER is the heart of this loving story that will be familiar to any little one who has ever had the sniffles.
Children's Literature
Wilson and Chapman's Bear and his woodland friends became virtual instant classics with Bear Snores On. That was soon followed by Bear Wants More, Bear Stays Up and Bear's New Friend. Now, Bear is sick and his friends are there to help. While there is a bit of a formulaic feel to this series, the books have real merit. The language, with its strong rhythm, rhyme and repetitive structure, is very appealing and lends itself well to activities that build phonemic awareness. The underlying messages about respecting and valuing others are positive. Furthermore, the stories avoid triteness. Bear, like anyone, suffers from aches and pains, has snuffles and wheezes, and appreciates tea and sympathy; nevertheless, while we have the flu, we feel miserable. The best bet, as Bear finds, is sleep. We can only hope that when he wakes up and feels better, he will be as thoughtful to his friends (who are now sneezing and wheezing) as they were to him. Reviewer: Mary Hynes-Berry