A Bed for Bear: A Heartwarming Bedtime Picture Book About a Sleepy Bear's Winter Search for Children

by Clive McFarland

It's bedtime for Bernard.

The bear cave is crowded and uncomfortable. What is a bear to do when there's no good place to sleep? To find the perfect resting place, Bernard searches high and low. But what he discovers is that the perfect bed was right in front of him all along. . . .

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 4, 2014

Reviews

[Erica]

4.5 stars. Bernard the bear is looking for the perfect bed. The bear cave is too crowded and too noisy. So he sets off to find the perfect bed. He tries out Frog's lily pad, Bird's nest, even Badger's sett. None of them are quite right. Mouse who has been following Bear along his journey, finally asks Bear what he really wants in a bed. Bear wants a dry, roomy place to sleep and realizes that the bear cave is perfect.

The expressions on Bear and his friends are those expressionless looks that are similar to Jon Klassen's where so little tells so much.

Read: January 5, 2015

[Margaret Chind]

Along the lines of the classics, like Are You My Mother?, A Bed for Bear is a great read for sequencing and repetition reads. The bear keeps getting to go around looking for the best place to be, when originally his own bed was the best for him.

Thanks to HC for an ARC.

[Katelynne]

This is a sweet book about a bear looking for a place to hibernate instead of in a cave with other bears. He comes across other animals that hibernate and tries their beds, but finds they don't work for him. Finally, he realizes the bear cave is perfect for him.

[Meredith]

It has very cute Ehlert-like illustrations and it has a hedgehog, so it's automatically awesome.

[Elizabeth]

Probably a little bit too long for Story Time. Cute art though. I feel bad that he breaks all their beds though, and they don't show their beds getting fixed. That's the only thing I would fix.

[Meredith]

Bear owes a lot of people new beds.

[Viviana]

Art 4 stars. Maybe not always the best advice to go back home if it didn't feel quite right to begin with, though..

[Villain E]

Bernard the bear doesn't want to hibernate with the other bears. He goes off to find another bed. But the other animals' beds aren't comfortible. Ultimately, he realizes that the cave with the bears is the perfect place.

I feel like the finding-your-own-species-is-the-best-fit trope has been done to death, and I have mixed feelings on the message it sends. On the other hand, I feel this is 100% accurate to kids fighting bedtime. You will be happier if you get a good night's sleep in your own bed!

[Erin Buhr]

Sweet circular story. I love that it talks about other animals that hibernate - not just bears. Cute illustrations, likable character is Bernard the bear, and a predictable story format that kids will enjoy.

[Hannah]

A cute book about where a bear sleeps

[Judy]

Story time possibility

[Abigail (Abbe)]

My son was upset when Bernard forgot his pillow. A fun children's story.

[Todd]

Why does the bear destroy other animals' homes and not address it?

[Kelly]

Cute story of a bear looking for a new bed in which to hibernate.

[Peacegal]

A bear looks for just the right spot to hibernate in this gentle story. Cute cutout-style illustrations.

[Jessica Calaway]

3 - 7 Years

Bear's home

[Liz Todd]

There's no place like home..

[Danita]

A simple cute book, simple illustrations. Enjoyable read about winter and hibernation but nothing ground breaking. Would not purchase but I think it’s a great one to borrow from the library.

[Eva Kelly]

Well, this is like some other ones I've read, where these animals just could NOT get settled in. And it always seems to happen with BEARS. What is it with them?
It's a real problem because you know why? This bear Bernard hates being in a crowded cave so he needs to find SOMEPLACE to hibernate and FAST.
It's kind of like us moving. Mama and me and Tanya looked at a LOT of houses before we found OURS. And we didn't have to hibernate, so there was no rush, but they WERE getting married. So maybe that's MORE of a rush. I don't know.
But then you know what? After he goes around looking and looking, guess where he ends up anyway? Right back where he started! Go figure.
And the other thing was that he was the only animal who had a name. HE was Bernard but all the other animals were just bird, rabbit, mouse, hedgehog, and all that.
Not NAMES.
I guess that's OK if you're the only one of that kind of animal, but what if there's more than one?
Like if he came to our house and said "Hi, lady," it could be anyone.
But I knew what he meant, and it WAS just a story. So chill.
Bernard wasn't ALL the way like a real bear but that's OK.
I liked his scarf.
This is a good one.

[Miss Pippi the Librarian]

It's nearly hibernation time for Bernard the bear. He needs to find a bed for winter. Bernard walks through the forest to find a bed. He tries beds made my other animals, but they do not fit him very well. After an unfortunate bed hunt, a little forest friend shares a place to rest his head.

A great book for a fall read! Children can identify animals as well as their homes (or even habitats). A project for after reading the story would be creating an animal's bed that bear should try. Readers can also seek and find Bernard's little friend who follows his bed hunt.

2017 storytime theme: build a better world: animal homes

Reviewed from a library copy.

[George]

Classic storytelling with art in the vein of Leo Lionni /Eric Carle. This is a book my kids keep coming back to at bedtime and one I enjoy re-reading. We wonder what the animals are thinking as the bear destroys their beds. There's more going on than the text states. It's very appealing. Recommended.

[Mary]

I liked the story and the illustrations a lot and would have given this 4 maybe 5 stars but the fact that the bear ruined the frog's lily pad, the bird's nest, and the rabbits burrow really bothered me. He didn't apologize, it wasn't acknowledged, and he made no amends. I'm sure this isn't supposed to be this big of a deal but it kept me from loving this book.

[Karen]

Traditional calming bedtime story for the little ones. Bear doesn't want to sleep in his bed so he's going to go out and find a new one. However, each bed is not quite right for a bear. Wherever will he sleep? Great to get your bear settled into bed for the night.

[Ruth Anne]

Bernard the bear does not think he can sleep in the bear cave, so he sets out to find a place that is just right for him. The digital illustrations look like cut paper and depict the various animal habitats nicely on lots of white space. A good bedtime story with snuggly warm ending.

[Edward Sullivan]

Bear goes in search of a more comfortable place to hibernate and ends up where he began. Genial, predictable bedtime reading.

[Elisabeth]

I realize it's not a totally original concept but - haven't I read this before?!

[Michelle Nero]

I feel like I've read a book just like this ... Adored Bernard and his pillow. The illustrations were beautiful too.

[Cemeread]

a formula story where bear is unhappy with his winter den. After trying other aninals' beds he ends up back where he started.

[Maija]

If there is a sequel, I hope that it's after bear hibernates and he wakes up and rebuilds the beds for his friends.

[Meredith]

It has very cute Ehlert-like illustrations and it has a hedgehog, so it's automatically awesome.