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Bear

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Book Synopsis

A story about sharing and how important it is to say what you mean.

Bear is all set for a perfect day. The sky is blue, there’s not a cloud in the sky and he has all of his most favourite things in the world by his side – a cookie to nibble on, a book to get lost in, a bright balloon to keep him happy and the perfect bench to take a rest on.

But no sooner has Bear made himself comfortable, than along comes Fox who wants to share the bench too. Bear agrees, begrudgingly. But no sooner has he overcome the idea of sharing his bench when Wolf pops up to ask for a bit of cookie . . . and then Rabbit jumps up to read his book . . . and then Elephant lumbers along to play with his balloon. And before Bear knows it, it’s all become too much for him! AAAAAARGH! yells Bear.

From author-illustrator Natalia Shaloshvili, this is a whimsical and laugh-out-loud funny picture book about how hard it can be to say what you really mean – and why it’s best to avoid bottling up emotions, so they don’t come bursting out in one big AAAAAARGH.

Our Review Panel says...

This beautifully illustrated, heartwarming text would be a great stimulus for a number of PSED/PSHE themes in an EYFS or Primary school setting.

The book is a day in the life commentary of the main character, Bear, who loves being a bear, loves his cookie, book and balloon and sitting on his bench all alone. The book starts on his favourite bench where he enjoys his favourite things, until everything starts to change. One by one, different characters visit and ask him to share, instead of saying how he feels, Bear thinks and thinks.

As the book progresses, Bear, who has bottled up his emotions, surprisingly loses his cool. The text navigates the fallout from this, and there is a lot of opportunity to discuss the characters and their responses, including Bear’s request at the end of the text. The book could be used across a primary school as a stimulus for discussion around topics such as friendship, kindness, empathy and emotions. It could also be used as a social story or topic starter for pupils who may have difficulty with self-regulation, getting along with others or managing their emotions.