The Bear & Mr. Bear

by Frances Thomas

A grumpy old man rescues a dancing bear from a horrid life and takes him home to live on his large estate, thereby making life better for both of them.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Rachel]

A story about a man who frees a bear and finds himself in the process. I especially liked the moods of the illustrations in this book.

[Gayathri Sreedharan]

A little lesson on empathy.

[Marilyn]

Alissa was glad that Mr. Bear burned the bear's cage and let the bear go.

[Jane Stadermann]

A hermit in a village offers a bag of gold for a dancing bear and sets the bear free. Simple story, sad, sweet and made me try to keep it together while I read it to my child. The illustrations are realistic, traditional, old-school. The story arc is lovely and the gentleness and selflessness of a man who shows what true compassion is without any funfare or self-noting is wonderful. To top it off, Frances Thomas donates half of her royalties to Libearty, the world campaign for bears, which rescues dancing bears and builds sanctuaries. Oh...it's good to feel your heart beat.

[Kristen Collins]

A very heartwarming story with great illustrations. I really enjoyed the story, but I hated the abrupt ending. Everything was resolved, but I still turned the page looking for more. It was great, but unfinished for me.

[Ellie Abrey]

A beautifully illustrated book about the kindness of a man towards a bear part of a circus show. A favourite from a very young age.

[Joey Minh]

It is ok for reading a child book