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Frida and Bear: Play the Shape Game!
The inimitable Anthony Brown and co-creator Hanne Bartholin invite young artists to play the shape game—and get creative.
Frida and Bear love to draw. But what should they draw? First Frida draws a shape and gives it to Bear. "Try to turn this shape into something," she says. Bear looks at the shape and adds a bit more, and now it’s a puppy! Then it’s Frida’s turn, and before they know it, they’ve drawn a big fish and a funny pig, a monkey from a scrap of wrapping paper, and a butterfly out of a twig. A simple idea spurs endless possibilities in a new winner from Anthony Browne and Hanne Bartholin.
Frida and Bear love to draw. But what should they draw? First Frida draws a shape and gives it to Bear. "Try to turn this shape into something," she says. Bear looks at the shape and adds a bit more, and now it’s a puppy! Then it’s Frida’s turn, and before they know it, they’ve drawn a big fish and a funny pig, a monkey from a scrap of wrapping paper, and a butterfly out of a twig. A simple idea spurs endless possibilities in a new winner from Anthony Browne and Hanne Bartholin.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2015
About the author
Anthony Browne
170 books317 followersAnthony Browne, a Hans Christian Andersen Medalist, is the author-illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, including Silly Billy and Little Beauty. He lives in Kent, England.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
September 23, 2019
Frida and bear draw shapes for each other and they make them into something by imagining what they could be and drawing the rest of the picture. They also try this with objects. Whilst this is a fun thing to do it didn't make a great story although this is a nice idea to show a child if they haven't previously done this.
October 11, 2016
Kids complaining because they are "bored"? Read this book and learn a whole new game to keep your kids busy with very simple objects found anywhere! An excellent book for young artists seeking inspiration and children who simply enjoy using their imagination!
March 15, 2017
Frida and bear give each other unique shapes and then draw other animals or objects from that shape. Very imaginative and creative. One on one or preschool.
November 5, 2017
Browne, Anthony Frida and Bear play the shape game! Illustrated by Hanne Bartholin. PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick Press, 2015. $15.99. Content: G.
Look at this squiggly line! What could it be? A frog, a fish, a robot? How about this torn piece of paper? Follow along as two friends create and draw using lines, scraps and lots of imagination.
Two youngsters who love to draw play the shape game in a delightful children’s book that keeps youngsters guessing on every page. Creative juices will flow while dreaming up all the potential possibilities. This is a book that may provide hours of fun for some. Very cute.
EL (K-3), ESSENTIAL. Jen M. Elementary Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
Look at this squiggly line! What could it be? A frog, a fish, a robot? How about this torn piece of paper? Follow along as two friends create and draw using lines, scraps and lots of imagination.
Two youngsters who love to draw play the shape game in a delightful children’s book that keeps youngsters guessing on every page. Creative juices will flow while dreaming up all the potential possibilities. This is a book that may provide hours of fun for some. Very cute.
EL (K-3), ESSENTIAL. Jen M. Elementary Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
March 5, 2018
I highly recommend this creative title for classrooms, school libraries, and public libraries. It uses the shape drawing game between two friends to encourage young readers and drawers to join in to some creative fun. The storyline is simple enough to let the drawing game take center stage, yet it's subtle emphasis on friendship is inviting as well.
April 16, 2024
I was thrilled to find a book that illustrated (no pun intended) the shape game!! I am thinking I will pair this with "It Looked Like Spillt Milk" and use it as a jump off point for exploring imagination and creativity. I have been surprised at how many of my younger students say they aren't creative or can't draw.
October 4, 2024
I really liked Frida's character, she's very smart. And the book can be useful for developing creativity and imagination in children. We studied Anthony Browne at the University (as a part of our Children's literature course) and I believe that he's so talented, because he can deliver deep and useful ideas to young or adult readers
October 31, 2016
Great idea to introduce the game, but there's not a lot of story.
Also, read-aloud crowd: beware the shape drawn on the envelope. Be prepared for it so you don't giggle and have to face a chorus of "What's so funny??"
Also, read-aloud crowd: beware the shape drawn on the envelope. Be prepared for it so you don't giggle and have to face a chorus of "What's so funny??"
September 26, 2016
Oh the shape games that will ensue! (At least I hope they do.)
November 27, 2016
Great game but not much story.
December 24, 2016
Pretty straight forward invitation to creative drawing for children; not as quirky as his other books.
September 26, 2017
Anthony Browne's picture book is a simple and fun way to engage readers into creating art. Browne's book is in landscape mode and uses futura font throughout the text.
One of my favorite elements of this book is the variety of backgrounds on the pages. For example, he uses graph paper, later lined paper and then begins to think outside the box by using an old, used envelope. Equally appealing is how Browne incorporates every day items therefore combining both drawings and photos of images such as shells and yarn.
The text itself is mainly comprised of tier 1 and tier 2 vocabulary, making it very accessible for young readers. While the text may be good for early readers, the concept of the shape game would be fun for all ages.
On the tenth turn of the page, a familiar face (or character of Browne's) makes an appearance.
One of my favorite elements of this book is the variety of backgrounds on the pages. For example, he uses graph paper, later lined paper and then begins to think outside the box by using an old, used envelope. Equally appealing is how Browne incorporates every day items therefore combining both drawings and photos of images such as shells and yarn.
The text itself is mainly comprised of tier 1 and tier 2 vocabulary, making it very accessible for young readers. While the text may be good for early readers, the concept of the shape game would be fun for all ages.
On the tenth turn of the page, a familiar face (or character of Browne's) makes an appearance.
September 13, 2018
Frida and Bear both love to draw. One day, bear cannot think of what to draw. So Frida draws a random shape and tells Bear to draw what he thinks it is. They create animals of all kinds starting with just one shape. They take turns going back and forth, and they do this every day.
I did not enjoy this book very much. Though it did teach kids how to use creativity, I feel like they could have done a little bit better with the text. It felt like it just continued on and on, and the illustrations only helped a little bit with the story.
If I chose to, I would use this book to help my students see that you can be creative with anything. I would have them do the shape game like in the book. I would have them pair up in groups of two and them each take turns drawing one shape and then their partner filling in the rest of the picture.
I did not enjoy this book very much. Though it did teach kids how to use creativity, I feel like they could have done a little bit better with the text. It felt like it just continued on and on, and the illustrations only helped a little bit with the story.
If I chose to, I would use this book to help my students see that you can be creative with anything. I would have them do the shape game like in the book. I would have them pair up in groups of two and them each take turns drawing one shape and then their partner filling in the rest of the picture.
March 6, 2019
Older kids might enjoy playing the game shown in the book - they take turns drawing a funny shape and then the other turns it into a recognisable drawing.
Miss 4 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.
Miss 4 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.
April 13, 2025
A book that inspires young readers and artists to play the shape game and be creative. I love that Frida (the elephant) and Bear inspire each other to create pictures based on the shapes that they draw. This is a fun book to get the whole family drawing pictures and telling stories to go with them! Highly recommended!
September 11, 2024
Oh gosh I wish I knew someone young enough, or young at heart enough, to play this with. I'm not creative, but I think I could come up with something for each given shape, and with practice do better. Btw, I love that Frida is an elephant and uses her trunk to hold the instruments.
June 14, 2017
Cute! Love the ideas and positive message about art and creativity!
July 17, 2017
Hope that this book inspires kids to play this boredom buster of a game!
March 6, 2019
Sweet. A nice collaboration
November 25, 2020
This was such an interesting and fun title. Would be excellent for storytimes or younger grades to encourage children to use their imagination when creating items out of various objects.
December 10, 2021
WRITE, PLAY
September 19, 2023
Holt-Delhi library Preschool story time 09-19-2023
November 6, 2024
It's fine, but it's not as good as the shape game which is basically the same book by the same author. So not really sure what the purpose of this is?
March 22, 2025
1 best book where children become creative in drawing
March 15, 2017
Can be used to teach turn-taking and introduce a class to pairwork routines.
June 13, 2018
I used to play "the Shape Game," as Anthony Browne calls it, all the time with my dad. He would start a shape, and I'd add to it. Then he could add something else, or complete the image. By the end, we had countless creative shapes constructed cooperatively.
This version is a little different. Frida or Bear draw an outline, and the other fills it. There's no real narrative, but the characters' artwork encourages kids to create their own. My readers liked guessing what Frida and Bear would turn each shape into, and I wish the book had been structured a little better to build that suspense. For instance, instead of having the result on the opposite page, they could have placed it on the next page, so that kids could speculate before seeing the finished product.
This version is a little different. Frida or Bear draw an outline, and the other fills it. There's no real narrative, but the characters' artwork encourages kids to create their own. My readers liked guessing what Frida and Bear would turn each shape into, and I wish the book had been structured a little better to build that suspense. For instance, instead of having the result on the opposite page, they could have placed it on the next page, so that kids could speculate before seeing the finished product.
December 13, 2016
A simple idea, beautifully executed. Frida and Bear love to draw but when one day, they can't think of anything to draw, Frida comes up with an idea. She draws a simple shape, hands it to Bear and tells him "Try to turn this shape into something, Bear." And so it begins, a shared game that anyone reading along can play and one that will stretch the imaginations of anyone who gives it a try. By encouraging readers to find recognizable things in abstract shapes, this wonderful book will have kids (and adults too for that matter) looking at the world in new ways.
October 17, 2016
10/12/2016 ** So much fun! What illustrations can you create from random shapes? Can't wait to share with students as part of their illustration study. We can all be illustrators. These would also be interesting to add to an author study of Anthony Browne; this is so different from his books like Voices in the Park and The Piggy Book.
February 7, 2017
I'd love to read this to K/1st graders and then have them do an art project with found objects and doodled shapes.
May 6, 2015
Un album d'Anthony Browne que je peux lire du début à la fin sans rechigner et trouver les dessins spéciaux. Un petit miracle donc.
Album tout doux sur l'amitié autour du dessin
Album tout doux sur l'amitié autour du dessin
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews