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Little Bear Dreams
A cozy and whimsical ode to polar opposites
Of what do little bears dream? Bright snowflakes perhaps... Or dark starry nights. Hot chocolate... Cold pizza. Straight horizons... And curly moustaches.
This gentle and imaginative tale takes readers on a journey of wintry opposites, including the expected and the unexpected. The sky's the limit when a little polar bear dreams, safely curled up with her mama. Perfect for bedtime or anytime, this snuggly read-aloud will both amuse and calm its young audience.
Ages 1-4
Of what do little bears dream? Bright snowflakes perhaps... Or dark starry nights. Hot chocolate... Cold pizza. Straight horizons... And curly moustaches.
This gentle and imaginative tale takes readers on a journey of wintry opposites, including the expected and the unexpected. The sky's the limit when a little polar bear dreams, safely curled up with her mama. Perfect for bedtime or anytime, this snuggly read-aloud will both amuse and calm its young audience.
Ages 1-4
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
27 people want to read
About the author
Paul Schmid
36 books45 followersPaul Schmid is an author and illustrator of children's picture books.
He lives on Whidbey Island in Washington State. You can visit him online at www.paulschmidstudio.com.
He lives on Whidbey Island in Washington State. You can visit him online at www.paulschmidstudio.com.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 18, 2019
Beautiful, gentle and fun. Lots of polar bear/baby polar books out there. This one is unique and extra special. Great as a winter or anytime read.
January 4, 2019
I always dislike when a book I want to like does not "make it" for me. I know that there was a lot of work and love put into this book, and it will be perfect for someone, I am just not that someone. This would be perfect in a medium sized board book format.
June 20, 2019
A polar bear is given human characteristics including eating pizza an blue ice.
September 3, 2022
Not the best concept book I have seen (some opposites did not flow/make sense)
December 6, 2018
Beautiful illustrations and spare text make this a lovely bedtime book for any toddler. Little polar bear dreams of "big love...and small friends" and "straight horizons...and curly mustaches." These unexpected opposites make for a fun read aloud.
November 16, 2018
Love the illustrations and the spare prose.
January 20, 2019
The kindergarteners liked it lots. I love the opening question, "Of what do little bears dream?" because of how it opens us up for writing. The pictures are exquisitely bold. (And the kids love the moustache page, but I don't get it. I mean, I get it. I just don't get it.) It's a wonderful echo of Elizabeth Cody Kimmel's What Do You Dream? (and my unpublished homage to hers, I Asked My Hand Its Dream -- send for your own copy today!).
After reading this, in our writing time, Emery, age 6, wrote:
Mom, mom, of what do you dream?
I dream about the sun being warm in Florida.
The sun dreams about the moon
because the moon loves the sun
because the sun is light
and the moon is dark.
The moon dreams about lunch.
After reading this, in our writing time, Emery, age 6, wrote:
Mom, mom, of what do you dream?
I dream about the sun being warm in Florida.
The sun dreams about the moon
because the moon loves the sun
because the sun is light
and the moon is dark.
The moon dreams about lunch.
January 7, 2019
A sweet bed time story that subtly introduces opposites. The beautifully simple illustrations are done in mostly blues that give it a soothing feel.
January 2, 2021
Hygge.
December 29, 2023
Highly requested at bedtime
February 23, 2024
I love the simplicity of this book. Only a couple of words per page and the basic colour palette of white and blue. Super sweet and just beautiful.
February 26, 2024
This one really pulled the heartstrings.
Simple illustrations and yet so much emotion.
Little bear with his hot chocolate is so sweet.
🐻❄️
Simple illustrations and yet so much emotion.
Little bear with his hot chocolate is so sweet.
🐻❄️
February 14, 2019
This whimsical picture book invites readers to imagine what polar bears might dream about. Some of the dreams are logical (bright snowflakes, dark skies), while others are pure silly fun (mustaches and party hats). The book ends with the parent and child polar bears curling up to sleep, making this a perfect bedtime story.
Paul Schmid's illustrations are a real standout here. Understated yet beautiful, they use simple shapes and plain backgrounds to define the polar bears and the arctic landscape around them. The final two spreads, showing the polar bears curling up in a circle that echoes the shape of the moon, are especially effective. The pages are filled with blues, grays, and whites that perfectly evoke the chilly arctic scenery.
The text is rhythmic, again making it a natural choice for bedtime reading. It is also simple enough to use for toddler storytime, with only a few sparse words per page. Another thing I appreciate is that the text introduces opposite pairs (hot chocolate/cold pizza, big love/small friends), although they're not present on every page.
That said, there is still something about this book that just doesn't do it for me, although I'm having a hard time pinning down exactly what. I think a lot of it has to do with how all over the place some of the flights of fancy are. The mustaches and party hats for instance feel like they came out of nowhere and don't really tie in with the rest of the cold/winter/arctic imagery. Young readers will definitely appreciate the humor, though, and there's still plenty to enjoy in this beautiful picture book. :)
Paul Schmid's illustrations are a real standout here. Understated yet beautiful, they use simple shapes and plain backgrounds to define the polar bears and the arctic landscape around them. The final two spreads, showing the polar bears curling up in a circle that echoes the shape of the moon, are especially effective. The pages are filled with blues, grays, and whites that perfectly evoke the chilly arctic scenery.
The text is rhythmic, again making it a natural choice for bedtime reading. It is also simple enough to use for toddler storytime, with only a few sparse words per page. Another thing I appreciate is that the text introduces opposite pairs (hot chocolate/cold pizza, big love/small friends), although they're not present on every page.
That said, there is still something about this book that just doesn't do it for me, although I'm having a hard time pinning down exactly what. I think a lot of it has to do with how all over the place some of the flights of fancy are. The mustaches and party hats for instance feel like they came out of nowhere and don't really tie in with the rest of the cold/winter/arctic imagery. Young readers will definitely appreciate the humor, though, and there's still plenty to enjoy in this beautiful picture book. :)
January 15, 2026
A lovely book I used for storytime with the cutest little close up moments two polar bears had - whether it was the two polar bears enjoying the blue of the skies and sea or showing us how small their tails were. The pacing was good and the simple words and sentences helped make it an enjoyable read.
December 28, 2018
Simple story. Calming
January 2, 2019
Opposites, bears and words oh my
January 2, 2019
The illustrations of this book are simple and beautiful. It's darling and sometimes unexpected - like the polar bear likes cold pizza!
January 16, 2019
Simple story line for preschoolers and toddlers. Takes the reader through the possible dreams of a little bear as he settles down for sleep.
Illustrations are simple and the text is easy to read.
Illustrations are simple and the text is easy to read.
February 5, 2019
Little Bear Dreams by Paul Schmid. PICTURE BOOK. Phaidon, 2018. $18. 9780714877242
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
This book ponders the questions of what bears could possibly be dreaming about. Big snowflakes possibly, but also maybe hot chocolate? Or cold pizza? Straight horizons and curly mustaches? All this is accompanied by simplistic illustrations of a polar bear and her cub.
This book is so delightful because it has such a soothing tone, but with an edge of silly. We all loved the illustrations - especially the final one in which the bear and her cub are curled up to mirror the full moon above.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
This book ponders the questions of what bears could possibly be dreaming about. Big snowflakes possibly, but also maybe hot chocolate? Or cold pizza? Straight horizons and curly mustaches? All this is accompanied by simplistic illustrations of a polar bear and her cub.
This book is so delightful because it has such a soothing tone, but with an edge of silly. We all loved the illustrations - especially the final one in which the bear and her cub are curled up to mirror the full moon above.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
Read
May 20, 2019Using high contrast cool tones, little polar bear and her dad explore together and enjoy favorite things, family and friends in this heart-warming picture book.
Reviewer 3
Reviewer 3
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews