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Bear in Love
One morning, the bear finds something just outside his cave. It is orange and long and pointy and has bushy green leaves at one end. And it's sweet and crunchy! Where did it come from? Did someone leave it for him? Then, the next morning, there are two more of the sweet crunchy things! The bear knows that someone nice is leaving him these treats. If only he could discover who it is! Should he leave something tasty in return? A charming little mystery about unexpected kindnesses – and finding that extra-special someone.Please ask if you need a specific version. The data provided here may not be correct. With buying and not asking you are accepting the book as is.
40 pages, Paperback
First published August 14, 2012
5 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Pinkwater
157 books424 followersDaniel Manus Pinkwater is an author of mostly children's books and is an occasional commentator on National Public Radio. He attended Bard College. Well-known books include Lizard Music, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, Fat Men from Space, Borgel, and the picture book The Big Orange Splot. Pinkwater has also illustrated many of his books in the past, although for more recent works that task has passed to his wife Jill Pinkwater.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
July 10, 2017
When Bear wakes up one morning, he finds a delicious new treat waiting for him. One carrot turns to two the following morning and soon Bear is feasting on an entire bunch. To return the favour, Bear finds and leaves out a honeycomb and eventually a bar of chocolate. One night, he hears a sound, only to find a special friend waiting to meet him. Neo mentioned that he prefers the chocolate to carrots, but would eat whatever a friend left him, even the Tooth Fairy.
January 8, 2013
The illustrations are adorable.
The story is likely to appeal to the youngest children, up through age 4, maybe 5 or 6. It’s a sweet, albeit a bit weird, friendship story, and a story about sharing and giving. The various foods all look appealing, and some of them are healthy: carrots, honey, blueberries, raisin cookie, chocolate candy bar, and all but the honey are vegan or could be vegan. There is a non-edible daisy flower too. Funnily enough, while the angry bees didn’t keep the bear from taking the honey, the scene might be enough to turn off kids who know bees sting.
There is one line I found amusing but this is a gentle, not a funny, story. This is not reminiscent of the author’s Bad Bears books.
The story is likely to appeal to the youngest children, up through age 4, maybe 5 or 6. It’s a sweet, albeit a bit weird, friendship story, and a story about sharing and giving. The various foods all look appealing, and some of them are healthy: carrots, honey, blueberries, raisin cookie, chocolate candy bar, and all but the honey are vegan or could be vegan. There is a non-edible daisy flower too. Funnily enough, while the angry bees didn’t keep the bear from taking the honey, the scene might be enough to turn off kids who know bees sting.
There is one line I found amusing but this is a gentle, not a funny, story. This is not reminiscent of the author’s Bad Bears books.
July 2, 2012
I'm not sure what he intended, but this comes off as more of an homage to Winnie-the-Pooh, than a Pinkwater original.
We follow a bear, who finds treats left by a mysterious creature and then sings little ditties about his discoveries. At some point he decides to return the favors and attempt to unveil the unseen, but generous "friend". It gets a little confusing for the reader (depsite Pinkwater's parenthetical note)when the two finally do converse, but it shortly becomes a typical perpetual friendship and storybook ending.
Will be interesting to see who takes to this one, as some will be won over b Hillebrand's classic-feeling illustrations.
We follow a bear, who finds treats left by a mysterious creature and then sings little ditties about his discoveries. At some point he decides to return the favors and attempt to unveil the unseen, but generous "friend". It gets a little confusing for the reader (depsite Pinkwater's parenthetical note)when the two finally do converse, but it shortly becomes a typical perpetual friendship and storybook ending.
Will be interesting to see who takes to this one, as some will be won over b Hillebrand's classic-feeling illustrations.
July 9, 2013
Bear wakes up to find a carrot sitting on a rock right outside his cave. What a wonderful treat. The next day, two carrots greet him. Each day follows the trend, inspiring Bear to sing little tunes as he strolls through the forest. My son loves this book. I love the illustrations. And if I read the story in a soothing, Kindergarten teacher voice, it's fun for both of us. I like the message, the gift giver is a rabbit with the sweetest voice...uh, okay, I do a sweet voice when I say rabbit's lines, but my 4 yr old made me read this book over and over so I went with it. This book is worth the try. A bear and a rabbit happy to share treats and sing little tunes make for a nice story.
May 24, 2014
I like Daniel Pinkwater so much. Quirky. This one is sweeter than quirky, but still sup rising as we see who the secret food sharer is… I just read this to the kids and they liked it but hated the songs, found them comically bad. And while I was making up music on the fly, I kind of had the feeling that he was doing this on purpose to parent readers, not making cute little rhymes (because NONE of them are cute little rhymes), and not really song like things at all. But see? This is the kind of benefit of the doubt I give this guy, that I think he puts in terrible sings just to goof on parents, instead of blaming him for awful songs! He's got me! Dave in love with Pinkwater!
January 21, 2026
An adorable story about a secret friend! Surprises slipped to each other, just to make the other smile. And then, when they finally get to meet!
The kids loved it! (Ages 4 & 5)
I don't know why they called it 'Bear In Love'. 🤔
The kids loved it! (Ages 4 & 5)
I don't know why they called it 'Bear In Love'. 🤔
June 18, 2021
I happen to really enjoy the quirky Daniel Pinkwater from my own childhood reading adventures.. and my beloved ginormous pup is named Bear (and looks like this one a little bit!) so I’m NOT a level headed reviewer of this. The songs are so clunky I found them very entertaining. I don’t think Pinkwater cared one way or another which I also find fun and very entertaining.
Sometimes it’s just right for something to be sweet and kind and gentle and that’s all it is.
Here for this.
Sometimes it’s just right for something to be sweet and kind and gentle and that’s all it is.
Here for this.
September 22, 2012
When you first pick up Bear in Love you will fall totally in love with these delightful, loveable, gentle illustrations of bear as he ambles along through his day. Illustrator Will Hillenbrand has portrayed bear as a gentle giant and loveable critter for the young child to whom you will be reading this book.
Most children have a stuffed teddy bear that they already love. So it is somewhat an understatement that they love bears already. Well, here is another that they will love. There are teddy bear stories abounding in libraries and book stores - example: Winnie the Pooh, that beloved Pooh-bear. So it is not a far stretch to say that the child in your life will fall in love with 'bear' in Bear in Love.
Author Daniel Pinkwater understands children and what they like to hear and see in a story. So he has created a gentle bear who awakens to a gift from an unknown friend. A friend he wants to engage. A friend whom he, too, tries to befriend with a gift.
Amble along with bear as he discovers his new friend. Enjoy the beautiful illustrations. Have the child to whom you are reading this book discover details in the art and in the story that enlighten and teach. Enjoy!
GIVEAWAY ENDS 10/6/12 - visit http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/2012... TO ENTER Via rafflecopter - wait for it to load, please.
DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy of this delightful hardcover book by Candlewick Press for the purpose of rendering my honest, unsolicited review. I was under no obligation to speak positively of the book. The prize copy for the winner of the giveaway is also provided by Candlewick Press and will be shipped directly to the winner by Candlewick.
Most children have a stuffed teddy bear that they already love. So it is somewhat an understatement that they love bears already. Well, here is another that they will love. There are teddy bear stories abounding in libraries and book stores - example: Winnie the Pooh, that beloved Pooh-bear. So it is not a far stretch to say that the child in your life will fall in love with 'bear' in Bear in Love.
Author Daniel Pinkwater understands children and what they like to hear and see in a story. So he has created a gentle bear who awakens to a gift from an unknown friend. A friend he wants to engage. A friend whom he, too, tries to befriend with a gift.
Amble along with bear as he discovers his new friend. Enjoy the beautiful illustrations. Have the child to whom you are reading this book discover details in the art and in the story that enlighten and teach. Enjoy!
GIVEAWAY ENDS 10/6/12 - visit http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/2012... TO ENTER Via rafflecopter - wait for it to load, please.
DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy of this delightful hardcover book by Candlewick Press for the purpose of rendering my honest, unsolicited review. I was under no obligation to speak positively of the book. The prize copy for the winner of the giveaway is also provided by Candlewick Press and will be shipped directly to the winner by Candlewick.
August 22, 2012
I'm a little torn here. I was really taken by Bear--he sure is a Pinkwater creation, but some aspects marginally marred my love. Sure, this reminds me of Winnie the Pooh, but only slightly. And it's a touch clunky, especially the songs, yet it seems to fit with Bear's quirky personality. I do believe the story went on a little too long. I laughed out loud over the misperceptions with Bear and bunny, something great to point out with reading aloud. Though the length and clunkiness were a little off-putting, the story is sweet without being too cute and Will Hillenbrand's illustrations are charming.
March 9, 2013
The illustrations really won me over. I loved them! So sweet and expressive. I wanted to give Bear a big hug.
The story is also sweet, though perhaps not destined to be one of my favorite "friendship stories."
The story is also sweet, though perhaps not destined to be one of my favorite "friendship stories."
December 24, 2014
Great illustrations, great story. Simple friendship is the theme.
July 10, 2017
This book originally published on The Children's Book and Media Review
It has been raining for days and Elmer, the patchwork elephant, is tired of being stuck inside a cave with the rest of his herd. Many animals suggest to him that he should come inside their caves because of the rain, but Elmer still wants to go for a walk. The jungle is partly flooded, but the crocodiles are excited to swim in new places and the ducks are enjoying the weather. Elmer learns that Young Elephant is missing, so he goes to rescue Young, who is stuck on an island. Elmer gets all of the other elephants to help rescue Young. When the elephants trap him on the island as a joke, Elmer is just happy to finally have some peace and quiet.
Although stories about Elmer the patchwork elephant have been around for decades and delighted readers of all ages, this one falls a bit flat. Elmer is kind to other animals during the story, but the joke played on him by the other elephants after he uses his time and ingenuity to help Young Elephant is mean and sad. Readers can learn to take things well when people do things that could hurt our feelings, but the issue of bullying is ignored because Elmer handles it so well. Long-time Elmer fans will probably still enjoy the book, but overall it is forgettable and doesn’t handle the issue of bullying well.
It has been raining for days and Elmer, the patchwork elephant, is tired of being stuck inside a cave with the rest of his herd. Many animals suggest to him that he should come inside their caves because of the rain, but Elmer still wants to go for a walk. The jungle is partly flooded, but the crocodiles are excited to swim in new places and the ducks are enjoying the weather. Elmer learns that Young Elephant is missing, so he goes to rescue Young, who is stuck on an island. Elmer gets all of the other elephants to help rescue Young. When the elephants trap him on the island as a joke, Elmer is just happy to finally have some peace and quiet.
Although stories about Elmer the patchwork elephant have been around for decades and delighted readers of all ages, this one falls a bit flat. Elmer is kind to other animals during the story, but the joke played on him by the other elephants after he uses his time and ingenuity to help Young Elephant is mean and sad. Readers can learn to take things well when people do things that could hurt our feelings, but the issue of bullying is ignored because Elmer handles it so well. Long-time Elmer fans will probably still enjoy the book, but overall it is forgettable and doesn’t handle the issue of bullying well.
November 28, 2018
Bear keeps finding someone has left him nice, crunchy, delicious orange things outside his cave. He decides to return the favor. Gifts swap back and forth as bear grows more curious about the identity of his secret friend.
The illustrations in this are so sweet. If you're doing a Secret Santa with kids, this might help introduce the concept to them. It's also just a sweet story of friendship started over a gift exchange.
The illustrations in this are so sweet. If you're doing a Secret Santa with kids, this might help introduce the concept to them. It's also just a sweet story of friendship started over a gift exchange.
December 13, 2018
This bear reminds me a bit of Pooh, wandering, wondering, and singing hums to himself. A mysterious stranger leaves gifts of carrots for bear and he begins exchanging gifts hoping to figure out the mystery.
I'm partial to any bear and rabbit story- that and the cute illustrations probably earned it a fifth star.
I'm partial to any bear and rabbit story- that and the cute illustrations probably earned it a fifth star.
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June 3, 2019Bear finds a present outside his cave. It is orange, long and pointy, and sweet and crunchy. As he eats it, he wonders where it came from. The next day, two more of the same gift appears. He knows that someone who cares about him is leaving him the treats. But who? Bear wants to be able to leave a present for his secret admirer, too. He follows clues and eventually meets his special someone.
March 24, 2021
SPOILERS AHEAD:
I think the title is very misleading because I felt like it was more of a friendship forming between the bear and the rabbit than the bear being in love. It doesn't mention anything about either of them being in love. The story is sweet and the illustrations are adorable though. I really liked the style of the art and the color palette.
I think the title is very misleading because I felt like it was more of a friendship forming between the bear and the rabbit than the bear being in love. It doesn't mention anything about either of them being in love. The story is sweet and the illustrations are adorable though. I really liked the style of the art and the color palette.
September 11, 2025
This book was so cute. I love how it showed giving to others is a kind act. Kids sometimes don't understand how giving to others is kind and typically don't want to share. However, this book did a great job at showing children the importance and how in the end the bear and bunny became best friends.
April 13, 2019
An endearing and delightful tale of a bear who experiences an unexpected kindness which leads to practicing sharing and generosity yet still wondering who has been the giver of so many good things until finally they meet.
November 19, 2020
Bear lives in a cave just big enough for him. He wakes up one morning to find someone has left him a carrot. Over the next few days the mystery gift-giver gives more carrots and other treats. Bear reciprocates treats. Eventually the two meet and find they get along famously.
February 3, 2021
This is a cute story about kindness and how much everyone appreciates surprise gifts no matter how simple. I like to point out that we know it is fantasy, because who would leave a chocolate bar in the trash with only two bites?
February 8, 2018
This book is fine. It has a sweet message without leaning on weird animal romance too much. The little songs/poems throughout are not my style.
August 14, 2018
So sweet!
October 5, 2018
Charming. Great early read aloud.
October 30, 2018
A very sweet story about secret admirers and unexpected love. No, Bear is not in love with a carrot like the cover implies. I mean, he kind of is, but that's besides the point.
January 6, 2019
I really enjoyed the illustration but the story itself didn’t serve a purpose and it wasn’t very entertaining. Also, the songs the best sang were awful. Not a book I’d suggest.
February 1, 2019
cute book about bear discovering carrots outside his cave and sharing other items with a secret friend that he meets at the end.
February 13, 2019
Cute story. Love the illustrations.
March 3, 2019
AR 3.3
April 2, 2019
I though this was more of a book about friendship than being in love... just a little misleading. Cute, though.
February 14, 2020
Cute story about mystery gifts, who could be leaving them?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews