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Baby Bear
Bread and Honey
BREAD AND HONEY (A FRANK ASCH Bear Story / Parents Magazine Press 1981) Hardcover
39 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1982
About the author
Frank Asch
107 books102 followersFrank Asch is an American children's writer, best known for his Moonbear picture books.
Asch published his first picture book, George's Store, in 1968. The following year he graduated from Cooper Union with a BFA. Since then he has taught at a public school in India, as well as at a Montessori school in the United States, conducted numerous creative workshops for children. He has written over 60 books, including Turtle Tale, Mooncake, I Can Blink and Happy Birthday Moon. In 1989 he wrote Here Comes the Cat! in collaboration with Vladimir Vagin. The book was awarded the Russian National Book Award and was considered the first Russian-American collaboration on a children's book.
Asch lived in Somerville, New Jersey where he and his wife home-schooled their son Devin.
He currently lives in Vermont with his wife, Jan.
Asch published his first picture book, George's Store, in 1968. The following year he graduated from Cooper Union with a BFA. Since then he has taught at a public school in India, as well as at a Montessori school in the United States, conducted numerous creative workshops for children. He has written over 60 books, including Turtle Tale, Mooncake, I Can Blink and Happy Birthday Moon. In 1989 he wrote Here Comes the Cat! in collaboration with Vladimir Vagin. The book was awarded the Russian National Book Award and was considered the first Russian-American collaboration on a children's book.
Asch lived in Somerville, New Jersey where he and his wife home-schooled their son Devin.
He currently lives in Vermont with his wife, Jan.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 17, 2016
Good for communicating the concept of not always listening to others opinion-- how they could be wrong and you may have been right to begin with.
August 26, 2015
This is a fun story to tell & draw - glad the actual book is available again.
June 9, 2022
Genre: Fiction
Grade Level: Lower Elementary (K-1)
This is such a heartwarming story. It is about a bear who draws a picture of his mother at school. On his way home he asks his friends what they think of it and they always suggest something to make it better. Because the bear wants this picture to be the best, he ends up changing his picture so many times that it does not look like his drawing anymore. Despite the fact that it looks nothing like his mother, she tells him that she loves it. I thought this book was very simple with easy to read text and basic illustrations. I will definitely be reading this book to my kindergarten class next year. Overall, I would give it 4 stars.
Grade Level: Lower Elementary (K-1)
This is such a heartwarming story. It is about a bear who draws a picture of his mother at school. On his way home he asks his friends what they think of it and they always suggest something to make it better. Because the bear wants this picture to be the best, he ends up changing his picture so many times that it does not look like his drawing anymore. Despite the fact that it looks nothing like his mother, she tells him that she loves it. I thought this book was very simple with easy to read text and basic illustrations. I will definitely be reading this book to my kindergarten class next year. Overall, I would give it 4 stars.
August 12, 2017
Ben Bear wants freshly baked bread but it is too hot. He goes off to school with the promise of a slice with honey when he returns. He decides to make a drawing of his mother at school. On his way home, he shows it to his friends who each "suggest" improvements to it.
A cute story for kids. Mama is surprised at how she looks but with love in her heart keeps her promise to Ben. I enjoyed it. I figured the picture would change with each "improvement" but it was fun to read.
A cute story for kids. Mama is surprised at how she looks but with love in her heart keeps her promise to Ben. I enjoyed it. I figured the picture would change with each "improvement" but it was fun to read.
October 15, 2018
Heartwarming story of a young bear and a mother’s unconditional love. One day in school Bear paints a picture of his mother. On the way home with it friends suggest ways to make it better, and Bear succumbs to peer pressure, and turns a great likeness of his mother into something...very different. His mother loves it anyway! Lovely, emotional illustrations and simple text.
February 27, 2018
Simple story for preschoolers. I just don't think I'm jiving with Asch on these bear books.
December 18, 2018
Cute little story with too many babas wrt ART. Makes a GREAT flannel FYI
June 8, 2020
Oh what a mother will do...
September 14, 2020
easy reader - daily reading homework
November 22, 2022
Read this book as a kid. I just liked that the kid had the same name as me. Still have Honey on Toast every once in a while.
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May 14, 2017This book is about a young bear who draws a picture of his mom at school and on the way home, he runs into several different animals that tell him he needs to change it to look more like them. His mother ends up loving the painting of her that he ends up with.
March 7, 2019
Before story time begins, prepare cut-outs of the drawing and additions that appear in this story. I used brown craft paper and cut a simple outline of bear's drawing of his mother. I cut out large circles for the eyes from white paper and drew a black dot in them. Next I cut the circles smaller, keeping the outside cut-away rings to use later. I cut rabbit ears from the brown paper. I cut a sliver of a smile from pink paper and then a huge smile from yellow paper. I cut two pink circle to make ears and I also cut pink ovals to put on the rabbit ears. I cut a long neck from the brown paper and I cut a long trunk from the brown paper. I cut a fluffy mane from the yellow paper.
Here's how the story goes. Bear's mother pulls a loaf of bread from the oven just as he is leaving for school. He asks for a slice but is told it is too hot. He is promised a slice spread with (icky-sticky) honey when he gets home from school. While at school he paints a picture of his mother. While walking home he proudly shows off his picture to all his friends. They all love it, but each makes a suggestion for it's improvement.
Owl: "But you made the eyes too small" (tape the circles over the eyes) "Fine work!"
Alligator: "But the mouth needs to be much, much bigger." (add the mouth) "Much better!"
Rabbit: "But the ears are too short." (add the ears) "Wonderful."
Elephant: "But the nose is too small." (add the nose) "Unforgettable!"
Lion: "But you forgot a fluffy mane." (add the mane) "A picture to be proud of."
Giraffe: "But the neck is too short." (add neck) "Perfect."
When bear arrives home he proudly shows his mother her altered portrait. She declares she loves it.
Bear: "Just the way it is?"
Mother: "Just the way it is." And she hung it on the refrigerator for everybody to see.
Then she gave bear a thick slice of homemade bread with lots of (icky-sticky) honey on it.
I can see this done as a play with simple costumes and props.
Here's how the story goes. Bear's mother pulls a loaf of bread from the oven just as he is leaving for school. He asks for a slice but is told it is too hot. He is promised a slice spread with (icky-sticky) honey when he gets home from school. While at school he paints a picture of his mother. While walking home he proudly shows off his picture to all his friends. They all love it, but each makes a suggestion for it's improvement.
Owl: "But you made the eyes too small" (tape the circles over the eyes) "Fine work!"
Alligator: "But the mouth needs to be much, much bigger." (add the mouth) "Much better!"
Rabbit: "But the ears are too short." (add the ears) "Wonderful."
Elephant: "But the nose is too small." (add the nose) "Unforgettable!"
Lion: "But you forgot a fluffy mane." (add the mane) "A picture to be proud of."
Giraffe: "But the neck is too short." (add neck) "Perfect."
When bear arrives home he proudly shows his mother her altered portrait. She declares she loves it.
Bear: "Just the way it is?"
Mother: "Just the way it is." And she hung it on the refrigerator for everybody to see.
Then she gave bear a thick slice of homemade bread with lots of (icky-sticky) honey on it.
I can see this done as a play with simple costumes and props.
October 19, 2018
A cute story about children's innocent drawings and their mothers' reactions to them. Ben drew a picture of his mother at school. On the way home, he met his pet friends who critiqued his drawing for him. They felt he should enlarge the eyes, mouth, ears, etc, so by the time he got home, the picture oi his mother was extremely distorted and did not look a thing like her! She loved it anyway, and put it on the refrigerator.
July 13, 2012
I have shared this book with many age groups and get laughs every time. I really feel that the title doesn't represent what the book is about. This story is about creativity, friendship, and a mother's love and acceptance. I found this story in a flannel board form and recreated it. The script that went along with it was titled "Monkey Face". Today I used this flannelboard for our summer reading outdoor Family Story Time with our theme of Friendly Monsters and Lights. Again this story was well received - very visual as a flannel board.
June 11, 2012
Ben the bear paints a picture of his mother at school. On the way home everyone he meets advises him how to improve it. Owl says the eyes should be bigger. Alligator says the mouth should be bigger. Rabbit says the ears...well, you get the idea.
Great story but personally I'm not all that inspired by Frank Asch's childlike drawings. The story starts and ends with bread and honey but otherwise there's no justification for the title.
Great story but personally I'm not all that inspired by Frank Asch's childlike drawings. The story starts and ends with bread and honey but otherwise there's no justification for the title.
June 12, 2008
This book will teach you some animal names, dominant physical traits of those animals (big eyes, long neck, etc)and most importantly, that mommy loves you (and the things you do)just the way you are!
I have owned this book since I was a child, and have read it to all three of my own children.
I have owned this book since I was a child, and have read it to all three of my own children.
April 11, 2011
I can't help but give this story 5 stars since it's one of the few I remember from my childhood, but it's such a great book! This is a great book that reminds children that mom will love their artwork no matter, because it's theirs! It reminds me of an early version of the book Ish :)
September 22, 2013
May be more like 4.5 stars but rounding up because the story does an excellent job of teaching some pretty profound ideas to young kids. Definitely a book to discuss after reading it to the little ones.
November 23, 2016
This book is cute, and the message about trying to please everyone is a good one, but Bear is supposed to be simply Bear. NOT Ben. Giving Bear a name takes him out of the realm of universal. That cost this book a star.
November 5, 2025
We’ve read this so many times. Basically their bear tries to draw his mom and all the animals make suggestions on how to improve the painting. The final product is horrible and funny. His sweet mom loved it anyway.
February 18, 2011
This was one of my favorite books as a kid! It shows how good art is interpreted differently by different "people" and mom will love it no matter what because you made it and tried your best!
February 23, 2014
Funny and cute story
March 7, 2015
Exactly what you'd expect a good mother to say.
May 30, 2015
Perfect story for realizing that your best is just perfect for mom.
June 6, 2015
Same story as 'Monkey Face' by Frank Asch, except with bears instead of monkeys. Could be used in an art program on self portraits/perspectives in art.
October 31, 2015
Mama loves it just the way it is.
Could be an interesting visualizing story.. kids could picture what the bear face would look like with each addition and then reveal page by page.
Could be an interesting visualizing story.. kids could picture what the bear face would look like with each addition and then reveal page by page.
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February 3, 2018A book that teaches children to be proud of how you are unique and special.
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July 4, 2018Ben's mom just baked some fresh bread, but he has to wait to have a slice until he gets home from school. At school, he draws a picture of his mother, but on the way home he stops to show many of his animal friends. They all think something needs to be added, so when Ben finally gives the picture to his mom, it's a mix of lots of animal features, but she likes it just the way it is. And Ben gets to have his bread with honey on top.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews