Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Little Bear Wants to Grow

Rate this book
"Perfect for toddlers to flip through the sturdy pages, Little Bear is sure to delight the youngest of readers." - YA & Kids Book Central Little Bear wants to grow. He asks Neighbor Bear, Grandma Bear, and Uncle Bear for advice. They all have wonderful tips. But nothing seems to work . . . Luckily, Mommy Bear and Daddy Bear know what to do. An amusing book about growing a little bit, and about lots of big hugs. For toddlers ages 30 months and up. At Clavis, our focus is on what’s best for children. We believe that books play an important role in each new phase in life. Our toddler books are tailored for every stage from 0 to 3 and focus on the five most important themes in their daily life, skills, emotions, the world, and language development. The age range and theme of every book in our toddler series can be found on the back cover in the form of a colored train.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2017

15 people want to read

About the author

Judith Koppens

68 books6 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
21 (31%)
4 stars
30 (45%)
3 stars
15 (22%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Toni.
516 reviews
February 20, 2019
A sweet little story about a cute bear cub who wants to grow up, and asks his family and neighbours for advice on what to do to make it happen quicker. He tries out things they suggest (some of them are really funny- you shouldn't listen to all advice) and he grows a little bit every day surrounded by their love and support. Beautiful illustrations in gentle colours, lots of repetition- this book has already become one of our new favourites.
Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Dana-Adriana B..
771 reviews304 followers
March 1, 2019
Little Bear is so cute wanting to grow faster by eating ice cream, painting... but all he needs is a big hug every day. The illustrations are nice.
Thank you Netgalley for this nice book.
Profile Image for Mel (Epic Reading).
1,125 reviews355 followers
May 31, 2019
Ice Cream!!!
What little kid doesn't want to read about ice cream and bears. :)

This is a very cute book about a bear who wants to grow faster than he currently is. He receives all kinds of (not helpful) advice from others and ultimately realizes that he can't grow any faster than he already is. It has lovely, colourful illustrations that are very pleasant to look at.
I loved the bits with lemonade and ice cream. Every kid wants to believe that eating things will help them grow. How many of us had parents that told us to eat green vegetables and carrots to grow big and strong? Now I wonder how many people still tell their kids that... (lol)

My only complaint here is that it is very short. Like so short you might have to read it five times to your child as it won't feel like it took any time at all. And while short is often better than too long for children's book, and a child could easily learn to read from this book; I still prefer children's books with a little bit more content.

To read this and more of my reviews visit my blog at Epic Reading

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Profile Image for Michelle.
746 reviews780 followers
March 21, 2019
Thanks to Netgalley, Clavis Publishing and Judith Koppens for the opportunity to read and review this cute book!!

The inside cover art has ice cream cones in it so my 22 month old child will be sold just on that alone! Little Bear wants to grow and asks each family member what he can do to grow up faster. Little Bear figures out that all these things (eating ice cream, riding a bike) will not help him grow more than he already is naturally.

I love this story and the illustrations are beautiful. My only complaint is that it was too short (although I doubt my child will care!) I would have liked to have seen a little more complexity in the situations, but that is just my own personal opinion.
Profile Image for R.A..
Author 32 books87 followers
November 16, 2020
I really liked this cute story about a bear who wants to grow up really quickly! Recommended for toddlers!

**I received a copy of this book from its publisher on NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**
Profile Image for Richard.
2,345 reviews195 followers
February 20, 2019
Little Bear Wants to Grow
Due to be published in English 1st April 2019
This is a wonderful book for all pre-school children, to read to them, and then for those early reading days.
Beautifully illustrated throughout, I was attracted to the cover where Little Bear stands on a stool to gain a few inches. Our first grandchild has always seemed to be tiny and until he was weaned, struggled to get above that first centile. I can image his own frustration if at times getting older, as he compares himself with his peers against his own lack of stature.
I loved the determination Little Bear shows seeking advice from the extended family; however, despite doing what they say he is frustratrated each time. His parents then share a special message with their baby bear.
Full of things to do beyond the story and talk about with your youngsters; funny too, like using the loo.
I'm sure this translated work will be warmly accepted into the reading cirles of young families and libraries.
Profile Image for Josephine Sorrell.
1,948 reviews41 followers
April 14, 2019
My grandson would like this book. I tell him he needs milk and broccoli to grow, but little bear is told what is needed, is ice cream and lemonade. Well anyway it didn’t work for little bear.

Little Bear doesn't know how to be patient; he wants to be a big bear right now! After heeding the advice of friends and family, Little Bear looks crestfallen as he is a still-small cub. He returns to his parents, and they reassure him that he will “grow a little but every day and he probably won’t even notice that he’s getting bigger.

This sweet and simple story closes with mama, daddy and little bear in a warm group hug. I wish the story progressed to show the little cub in the future all grown as a Big bear, but this as not the author’s purpose.

The pastel-hued illustrations are warm and appealing. I predict the favorite illustration that will illicit chuckles is the sight of Little Bear on the potty after many glasses of lemonade.. (Picture book. 2-4)
Profile Image for Cassandra **The Bibliophagist**.
204 reviews17 followers
March 13, 2019
I do reviews of children's books a little different than most. My seven-year-old son and I review them together. We read the book and he tells me his thoughts and then we discuss what we liked or didn't like. Here are our thoughts for this title.

My son's thoughts:

I liked the pictures, they were very bright and colorful. Some parts were funny and made me laugh, like when little bear was told ice cream would make him grow.

My thoughts:

I agree with my son, I really enjoyed how bright the pictures were and how funny some of them were. The drinking lemonade and having to go to the bathroom a lot was a little funny. I liked the message behind the story. Kids are always trying to grow up faster but they eventually learn that they grow every day and being a kid is something that you should enjoy. This is a book parents and children can enjoy
Profile Image for ***Book Lady ***.
254 reviews176 followers
March 20, 2019
Very sweet book for toddlers! About a little bear who wants to grow big right now, and then learns he will grow a little each day. And a hug a day sure can't hurt! I think little ones would really enjoy this book, illustrations are wonderful and there are parts that are funny.
Profile Image for Jeanette.
1,129 reviews62 followers
March 6, 2019
A very cute book with lovely illustrations of a little bear who wants to grow. I'm sure my 4 yr old grandson will love to share this book with me. He loves to paint when at nursery, loves to cycle and does eat plenty of ice cream.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy.
Profile Image for Cherry London.
Author 1 book83 followers
February 24, 2019
This little guy is so impatient to grow up, he is clueless about how this really works, he seeks the answer from all those around him, still, he finds it's taking too long. But thanks to the wisdom of his Mummy and daddy he believed he has found the answer A quirky amusing bedtime read, cute and adorable,
Profile Image for Seema Rao.
Author 2 books70 followers
February 21, 2019
Well-drawn ~ Aesthetically-Appealing ~ Sweet

tl;dr; Baby bear wants to be big.

I'm on the fence on this book. The illustrations are luscious, with layers of color washes hinting at depth. The end pages with the ice cream and popscicle desserts are adorable. This would be a great book for an image walk. The text however is not as strong. The cadence is a little stiff. The message is alright: growth happens naturally but a hug can't hurt. But, if you are looking at illustrations only, this would definitely be a four star one.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Seema Rao Write : Instagram| Blog| Twitter|
Profile Image for Normalishmom.
39 reviews16 followers
February 28, 2019
Like Little Bear I too once wished and wished to grow. Unlike Little Bear I did not have friends and family who would let me eat all the ice cream and drink all the lemonade I wanted to test growth theories. Phew, I'm really glad Little Bear did all that cycling after because that was A LOT of sugar. Cute and to the point with colorful illustrations. It is a good lesson that as children we often want to grow up so fast but should enjoy the time to just be "little."
446 reviews37 followers
March 18, 2019
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own - and well - my four year old daughters.

Having recently read and reviewed a couple of other childrens books with my daughter, I knew that when more books become available my daughter would enjoy reading it.

Little Bear Wants To Grow is a story about well, a little bear, who is eager to grow up. He receives advice from different family members about things he could do which will help him to grow faster. These advice includes eating lots of ice-cream, drinking lots of lemonade and even riding his bike. In the end, his parents offer the best advice.

This is a sweet story with a great lesson to be learnt - everything happens in time. The pictures are colourful and the story is easy to follow. The author, Judith Koppens, was able to keep my four year old daughter interested.
12 reviews
March 20, 2019
Despite Mommy and Daddy's Bear advice to be patient, Little Bear is very eager to grow up! To grow up faster, he asks all different friends for help and they all give different advice. From eating and drinking plenty of food, exercising, creating art, Little Bear tries it all, but doesn't quite get the results he was hoping for. However Little Bear learns he doesn't need to do anything special to grow, he "grows a little every day. Just like that." Adorable picture book with cute illustrations and animals for toddlers to learn how they can grow everyday in many different ways!
Profile Image for The Nashville Wife Reads.
70 reviews7 followers
February 23, 2019
Little Bear Wants to Grow is self explanatory. This little bear simply wants to grow up. So he asks all his relatives how he can grow and they all give various suggestions but none work. In the end, mom and dad encourage him to be patient and to let his body grow as it sees fit, basically, naturally.

The artwork is absolutely adorable! I was drawn to it immediately. I have a few problems with the book, however. First of all, they don't go deep when there are many areas that present themselves. Now I know with a kids book you don't want to go too deep but a good book like this one allows for open conversation. This one does allow for it but with a lot of prompting from an adult to see what a child would miss. Examples:

1- they do no say why little bear wants to grow. Does he want to grow up to be (insert dream job)? Does he want to grow up because everyone else is so big? They really missed out on a big opportunity in my opinion.

2- the suggestions they offer, while they're obviously meant to be cute and funny and completely ridiculous, just makes the whole book end up seeming pointless when there's (a) no reason why he wants to grow up and now (b) no real suggestions of how we truly do grow up (physically, mentally, through perseverance, etc). They have grandma tell little bear he'll grow up if he drinks lemonade, someone else says from painting and another says from eating ice cream (and the thing is, even with the ice cream you CAN grow..not up, but out.)

In my opinion this is a cute book, great art, its meant to obviously be silly but it could've been both silly and educational. It still can be but with a lot more effort.
Profile Image for Nicole.
381 reviews
March 4, 2019
Little Bear Wants to Grow is such a sweet, entertaining book for young children. It was perfect for my 3 year old and even my 5 year old was interested in the story. Both kids thought it was hilarious when Little Bear drank too much lemonade and had to sit on the potty. Little Bear engaged in various activities that young children also do, so it is very easy for them to relate to this fun story about wanting to grow up too soon. I definitely recommend this book for toddlers and preschool/kindergarten age children to enjoy with their parents.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Clavis Publishing through NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.
3,334 reviews37 followers
March 2, 2019
Ahhhh! so cute! I little Bear wants to grow up in a hurry. He gets lots of suggestions from grown ups around him, but it isn't making him grow! It's a pretty funny story; Little Bear does lots of silly stuff Littles will relate, too, and it will make them laugh! Super cute illustrations!
I received a Kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
7,045 reviews83 followers
February 19, 2019
Very cute story about a little bear who want to grow faster and everyone give him advice on it. Funny, pretty and can even serve as a way to help kid learn at everybody advice isn’t necessarily good to take! Well done!!
Profile Image for NightOwlReads.
40 reviews
February 26, 2019
This is an endearing little book that reminds us that though we want to grow up briskly we should also enjoy little things that make us happy or try new activities along the way while enjoying the time we are currently in. This story will be perfect for children that want to grow up and be an adult already because will teach them to not be in a hurry to grow up.

I received this e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Christy Barkho.
22 reviews
February 28, 2019
This cute little book is all about how little bear wants to grow up just like all little ones want to be bigger to be abke to do things like mommy and daddy or older siblings. Little bear asks everyone he can think of but no one's advice is as good for little bear as mommy and daddy's.
Profile Image for Jane Lively.
218 reviews55 followers
February 23, 2019
***Received a review copy via NetGalley.***

I thought this was cute, but I feel like such a complex topic (growth) could have been addressed differently. We all grow a little each day, but not necessarily physically. I feel like it could, Idunno, have been like, "You are growing with the help of all these things!" Because technically, he was...in mind and body. So I get the idea, and I know kids wouldn't necessarily realize this, but...🤔 I feel like this is slightly a step backwards in the distance children's books have come, in that it underestimates the impressionable brains that are the youth.
Profile Image for Producervan.
370 reviews207 followers
February 22, 2019
Little Bear Wants to Grow by Judith Koppens. Illustrated by Suzanne Diederen. Clavis Publishing. Children’s Fiction. Publication date: 01 Apr 2019. 5 Stars.

Sweet book with soft-hued color pictures about the value of love and patience in a little bear who can’t grow up fast enough. As Little Bear receives advice and expends a lot of effort, your young child will enjoy this story that ends happily after receiving parental guidance, love and understanding. Great book!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ebook for review.
9,126 reviews130 followers
February 20, 2019
A really cute book, with a pale young bear impatient to become fully grown. He gets advice from other members of his family, which inspires lots of activity and no real growth, or so the book says. You might be thinking the moral of it all is that you shouldn't hurry to be a grown-up, but no. In fact the moral I took from it all is that we'd all have been better off if the critter's parents had told him the truth to begin with. But it closes with a cute hug, so all is alright in the end. So it looks fine, but the story is a bit ineffective, and beyond a few minutes' entertainment won't really stand out as a classic.

Oh, and that toilet roll is hung the wrong way round.
Profile Image for Rachel.
284 reviews6 followers
February 20, 2019
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reading copy. I read this book to my kids and they loved it. Little bear is so relatable to younger children, especially with his goal of trying to grow bigger. Kids are always wanting to grow bigger like their older friends or their parents, even though they should enjoy their time while little (according to their parents). The pictures were engaging and allowed for counting practice. I would definitely recommend!
2,714 reviews9 followers
February 19, 2019
Do you remember when you were young and all you wanted was to grow up? Well, that is exactly how Little Bear feels. He seeks advice from those he is close to but none of the advice works. At the end of the story Little Bear's parents let him know that he will grow little by little.

This book has a lovely message for children. They will grow in time surrounded by those who love them.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this sweetly illustrated read. The opinions are my own.
Profile Image for The Endless Unread.
3,420 reviews63 followers
February 19, 2019
A very quick but pleasant little children's book with a good lesson to learn. A good read. This book will be a hit with your little ones.
Profile Image for Olivia.
3,764 reviews99 followers
April 5, 2019
Find the full review here: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfic...

LITTLE BEAR WANTS TO GROW is a beautifully illustrated children’s book about patience. Little Bear is eager to grow up, and he doesn’t want to wait. He seeks out the advice of older bears and tries it all! However, nothing works, and in the end, he must wait and will grow a little each day- just like that.

What I loved: The images are just lovely. Little bear is adorable, and the illustrations bring his explorations to life. There is a lot for little eyes to look at, and the text is small and brief to easily capture and keep young attention spans. This hardcover book also has thick, laminated pages, which make it a step between a board book and regular picture book. The pages are sturdy and easier to turn while also being very difficult to tear. This is great for younger readers! With repetitive sounds, this book is a delight for young children to listen to.

What left me wanting more: As a relatively small point, two of the things suggested to make Little Bear grow are lemonade and ice cream. I would have preferred to have healthier food options listed. Notably though, they do not work, and so, you could see this either way (encouraging or discouraging consumption). Still, it is always great to see characters in books for toddlers eating veggies or having healthy snacks!

Final verdict: This is an adorable and sweet journey of a young bear who wants to grow up! Perfect for toddlers to flip through the sturdy pages, Little Bear is sure to delight the youngest of readers.
Profile Image for Storywraps.
1,968 reviews39 followers
March 28, 2019
This delightful story begins:

"This is Little Bear.
Little Bear would love to grow up.
"Be patient, Little Bear," Mommy and Daddy Bear tell him.
But Little Bear doesn't want to wait.
He decides to ask for help."



From whom does he seek wise advice? Mmmmm....well of course, those in his close circle of aquaintances. His search for meaning leads him to Neighbour Bear, Grandma Bear, Uncle Bear and Auntie Bear. They all have wonderful suggestions that he willingly tries out, but alas, poor Little Bear doesn't grow. Oh my how sad the makes him.

My favourite make-you-grow suggestion?

"Grandma Bear says:
You grow from drinking lemonade."

"Little Bear drinks at least a hundred glasses of lemonade.
He has to pee a lot.
But Little Bear doesn't grow."

Gotta love Grandma. Lol! Can he find the answer to his dilemma? Luckily Little Bear's loving parents know exactly how to solve his problem.

The illustrations are simple, vibrant and fun. They are kid-friendly and definitely relatable. This book is a perfect bedtime story when served up with lots of hugs. I highly recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.