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Blackboard Bear
Blackboard Bear
When a little boy is not allowed to play with the older children, he creates an imaginary friend by drawing a giant bear on his blackboard.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1969
2 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Martha Alexander
67 books9 followersBorn in Georgia, Martha attended the Cincinnati Academy of Art, and lived in many places, including New York, Alaska, and Washington state, before settling in Honolulu, Hawaii. She had two children, eight grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 28, 2016
"Can I play?" A little boy asked his older brother as he and his friends were playing cowboys and Indians.
"You're too little. Go play with your teddy bear."
"Can I play?" A little boy asked his older brother as he and his friends were playing cops and robbers.
"You're too little. Go play with your teddy bear."
His younger brother was sad and mad; he threw his teddy bear out the window. Then he went over to a chalkboard, drew a large bear with a leash and motioned for the animal to climb down.
"Can we hold the leash?" His brother asked with his friends looking on.
"Of course not."
"Can I pat him?" His brother asked with his friends looking on.
"Of course not."
"Can we have a ride on your bear?" His brother asked with his friends looking on.
"Oh, he wouldn't let you."
Then he took the bear inside the house to feed him lunch.
The little boy walked over to the window while the bear had started to eat. The brother and his friends were holding their fishing poles. The older boy asked his brother if he and his bear wanted to go fishing.
"I'll ask him when he finishes his lunch."
The boy goes back inside and
I loved the crisp illustrations. The story was odd and not made for young children. *2.5 stars* rounded up to three.
"You're too little. Go play with your teddy bear."
"Can I play?" A little boy asked his older brother as he and his friends were playing cops and robbers.
"You're too little. Go play with your teddy bear."
His younger brother was sad and mad; he threw his teddy bear out the window. Then he went over to a chalkboard, drew a large bear with a leash and motioned for the animal to climb down.
"Can we hold the leash?" His brother asked with his friends looking on.
"Of course not."
"Can I pat him?" His brother asked with his friends looking on.
"Of course not."
"Can we have a ride on your bear?" His brother asked with his friends looking on.
"Oh, he wouldn't let you."
Then he took the bear inside the house to feed him lunch.
The little boy walked over to the window while the bear had started to eat. The brother and his friends were holding their fishing poles. The older boy asked his brother if he and his bear wanted to go fishing.
"I'll ask him when he finishes his lunch."
The boy goes back inside and
I loved the crisp illustrations. The story was odd and not made for young children. *2.5 stars* rounded up to three.
April 17, 2018
Basically no one is nice in this story!
Not for me.
Not for me.
January 17, 2023
Reading the story was enjoyable and at first, I liked it because of its creativity until I looked at it deeper. It addresses the issue of feeling left out which is something a lot of kids can relate to. When I first started reading the book, I thought the kids would include the boy at the end, but instead, the boy rejected their attempts at including them. He responded with spite and refused to include them with blackboard bear. This theme seems a bit revengeful—if you wrong me, then I can wrong you back.
Another issue with the book is the blur between imagination and reality. Since the kids who were playing cowboys and Indians saw the blackboard bear visually, it led me to wonder if the second part of the book, starting when the boy drew the bear, was all in his imagination. This also aligns with the third to last page where the kids are drawn on the blackboard. Because the main character was upset that the older boys would not allow him to join, he imagined blackboard bear appearing and showing off to the other boys. The boys even react in a way that may mean the main character is controlling their responses in his imagination as they do and say seemingly what the main character wanted them to do. They react in excitement and then invite him to go fishing. In his mind, this was a way of coping with the emotions of being rejected by the other kids.
It took me reading it a second time to catch the significance of the last three pages of the book. These pages highlight the ongoing theme of the boy’s desire for retaliation against the kids who did not include him. The boy imagined that the kids were inviting him and blackboard bear to go fishing. The boy responded by saying that blackboard bear had to eat first. On the blackboard, the boy drew a picture of honey but also pictures of the kids. The final page shows the bear finishing the last of the honey and the children on the board are missing! The boy’s revenge is complete by imagining them gobbled up by the bear.
Children acting out their emotions through play and their imagination is normal, which I think might be a large part of the reasoning behind this book. However, while it does well to encourage children to deal with their emotions through play, the story never addresses the main character’s revenge. It is okay in children’s books to show characters who act on their negative emotions, but not okay to end the story without ever teaching a lesson through it and clarifying that the main character was wrong in doing so. I would like to have seen the boy and the kids make up at the end rather than ending it with the boy exacting his revenge in his imagination.
Another issue with the book is the blur between imagination and reality. Since the kids who were playing cowboys and Indians saw the blackboard bear visually, it led me to wonder if the second part of the book, starting when the boy drew the bear, was all in his imagination. This also aligns with the third to last page where the kids are drawn on the blackboard. Because the main character was upset that the older boys would not allow him to join, he imagined blackboard bear appearing and showing off to the other boys. The boys even react in a way that may mean the main character is controlling their responses in his imagination as they do and say seemingly what the main character wanted them to do. They react in excitement and then invite him to go fishing. In his mind, this was a way of coping with the emotions of being rejected by the other kids.
It took me reading it a second time to catch the significance of the last three pages of the book. These pages highlight the ongoing theme of the boy’s desire for retaliation against the kids who did not include him. The boy imagined that the kids were inviting him and blackboard bear to go fishing. The boy responded by saying that blackboard bear had to eat first. On the blackboard, the boy drew a picture of honey but also pictures of the kids. The final page shows the bear finishing the last of the honey and the children on the board are missing! The boy’s revenge is complete by imagining them gobbled up by the bear.
Children acting out their emotions through play and their imagination is normal, which I think might be a large part of the reasoning behind this book. However, while it does well to encourage children to deal with their emotions through play, the story never addresses the main character’s revenge. It is okay in children’s books to show characters who act on their negative emotions, but not okay to end the story without ever teaching a lesson through it and clarifying that the main character was wrong in doing so. I would like to have seen the boy and the kids make up at the end rather than ending it with the boy exacting his revenge in his imagination.
November 29, 2021
This book would be cancelled instantly today, deservedly so, but for all the wrong reasons.
It would be cancelled because the children are playing cowboys and Indians and the cowboys are lassoing the one black kid in their group...okay that part is pretty deserving of cancellation...or it would be cancelled because the kids are playing policemen and robbers and playing with guns...gasp.
The reason this book deserves to be left to molder in disrepute, though, is because it's terrible. It teaches terrible lessons. A kid goes out to play with the others and is rejected, so he draws a bear that comes to life and parades it around purposefully to make all the other kids jealous, then refuses to let them play with his bear. Just as they refused to play with him. There is no growth. There is no learning how to get along with others, or how play is iterative and not a zero-sum game. None of that. There is only petty revenge.
It gets even worse. He draws pictures of the kids on the blackboard and then when they come to life, feeds them to his bear.
And we read this to children!? Not I.
Nope. This one gets shoved down in ignominy. It's just plain terrible.
Story: Narrative
Art: Meh
Price: $12.99
It would be cancelled because the children are playing cowboys and Indians and the cowboys are lassoing the one black kid in their group...okay that part is pretty deserving of cancellation...or it would be cancelled because the kids are playing policemen and robbers and playing with guns...gasp.
The reason this book deserves to be left to molder in disrepute, though, is because it's terrible. It teaches terrible lessons. A kid goes out to play with the others and is rejected, so he draws a bear that comes to life and parades it around purposefully to make all the other kids jealous, then refuses to let them play with his bear. Just as they refused to play with him. There is no growth. There is no learning how to get along with others, or how play is iterative and not a zero-sum game. None of that. There is only petty revenge.
It gets even worse. He draws pictures of the kids on the blackboard and then when they come to life, feeds them to his bear.
And we read this to children!? Not I.
Nope. This one gets shoved down in ignominy. It's just plain terrible.
Story: Narrative
Art: Meh
Price: $12.99
February 29, 2012
Even though, my A to Z Children’s Picture Book Series Reading Challenge was so 2011, I decided to continue it.
"Blackboard Bear" is a very sparse story but filled with charm, very reminiscent of "Harold and the Purple Crayon." The ending is kind of creepy or is just very dark humor depending on how you want to look at it.
"Blackboard Bear" is a very sparse story but filled with charm, very reminiscent of "Harold and the Purple Crayon." The ending is kind of creepy or is just very dark humor depending on how you want to look at it.
March 29, 2013
As an adult I thought this was a book with a message.
February 1, 2014
Kind of a messed up story, if you look at the pictures and read into it a little, but my two year old AND ten year old thought it was hilarious!
January 19, 2023
Wow, this book teaches children about retaliation, and I would not recommend a child read it on their own. Although I have not rated this book very highly because of this, this would be a good book to read with preschool and elementary-age children to talk with them about the importance of including others in playtime and the importance of being kind to others. The discussion could include talking about how the young boy must have felt by being excluded from playing with the older children and encouraging them to consider if they have treated others in a similar way. It could include talking about why the older children chose to act this way and the effect it had on the younger boy. It could include talking about ways the older children could have been kinder and ways they could have included the younger boy.
There is often an intolerance of older children wanting to play or spend time with younger children, but older children should be taught to consider the feelings of the younger children and spend time playing with them. The author had an opportunity to teach the important characteristic of showing kindness to others but instead chose to develop a story line that encouraged selfishness and retaliation. The older children showed an unwillingness to teach the younger boy how to play with them and instead sent him off to play with his teddy bear. The older children did not respect the feelings of the young boy. When the young boy had the idea that he could make something to play with and made the blackboard version of his teddy bear, he used the bear to retaliate. He proceeded to treat the older children exactly how they had treated him. What does this teach children who read this book? Not the characteristics that you would want them to exemplify.
There are some spiritual implications I think about after reading this book. Man is naturally selfish in his desires and wants to seek revenge when he feels he is wronged. To be a Christ-follower is to be the opposite and show kindness and forgiveness to others.
There is often an intolerance of older children wanting to play or spend time with younger children, but older children should be taught to consider the feelings of the younger children and spend time playing with them. The author had an opportunity to teach the important characteristic of showing kindness to others but instead chose to develop a story line that encouraged selfishness and retaliation. The older children showed an unwillingness to teach the younger boy how to play with them and instead sent him off to play with his teddy bear. The older children did not respect the feelings of the young boy. When the young boy had the idea that he could make something to play with and made the blackboard version of his teddy bear, he used the bear to retaliate. He proceeded to treat the older children exactly how they had treated him. What does this teach children who read this book? Not the characteristics that you would want them to exemplify.
There are some spiritual implications I think about after reading this book. Man is naturally selfish in his desires and wants to seek revenge when he feels he is wronged. To be a Christ-follower is to be the opposite and show kindness and forgiveness to others.
December 19, 2023
Can't decide if this is funny or if this kid is a snotty jerk.
March 21, 2013
Blackboard Bear is such a creative and imaginative story. The young boy, whose older brother will not let him play cowboys and indians or cops and robbers with, goes to a blackboard a draws a bear. The bear comes to life, and the young boy does not allow his older brother or their friends to play with the bear at all. When the boys ask the young one if him and his bear want to come fishing the boy says "after bear finishes his lunch" which happens to be the four older boys drawn on the blackboard! It is such a cute little book that involves a lot of imagination. The illustrations were done with pencil and I really liked them! I would definitely use this book in my K-2 classroom just as a little reminder of the importance of including everyone.
January 11, 2017
Found this in a stack of books from my childhood. Simple story, about a boy too little to play with the other kids, so he draws a bear on a chalkboard that comes to life. All the kids want to play with the bear, but the kid won't let them. The ending is vaguely disturbing--he draws pictures of the other kids, the bear eats them, and our hero wipes his mouth with a red cloth, making it look like blood.
May 21, 2019
Shades of Harold and the Purple Crayon in this tale of a little boy who's not allowed to play with the older kids. He draws a bear on a chalkboard, and suddenly . . . they all want to play with him. Very cute, though there's kind of a dark ending.
September 13, 2012
This is an inspriring story about being yourself. This is a book to read to students who feel lonely and are having a hard time making friends. This makes it a good book for new ESOL students who are making friends. This book has simple language and clear pictures that are specific to the story.
August 12, 2018
This story is good story to read about a boy and his bear that is drawn from a chalk black board. The imagination in the story is great and the moral can be a little shaky in the series, but overall a good selection of books to have in your library.
June 18, 2009
This was a favorite of my brother's.
November 28, 2009
Classic. When a little boy is not allowed to play with older kids, he creates an imaginary bear friend.
May 4, 2015
Weird....the kids did some major Voodoo.
July 8, 2015
The best/worst/best children's book out there. Absolutely terrifying.
August 26, 2015
This book wants to be like Harold and the Purple Crayon and Where the Wild Things Are, but it does quite have the magic of either.
December 16, 2016
(Picture Book) Little kid draws a bear and it comes to life. Short book for younger grades.
February 2, 2017
Read with Naomi & Julia.
January 19, 2023
Blackboard bear is a story about a young kid who wants to play with all the other boys, but they turn him away because he is to small, so he makes his own friend and flaunts it in front of those who first turned him away. There are three aspects to a children’s story that will be regarded here today, the art, the story’s structure and followability, and the message.
Regarding the art, it seems to invoke a similar aesthetic to the little golden books of times gone by. It is not too complicated, making the pages seem excessively busy, but is quite clean, and simple, so that anyone should be able to track with what is going on. This design choice is especially helpful as there are certain points in the book where there is no text, only the images conveying what is going on.
Following the story is easy, as mentioned before, due to the pictures on every page. And where clarity may be required, such as when the young boys speak to each other, there is text at the bottom of the page. Very naturally, and quickly, a need is presented, and then there is a conflict with that need, and fairly quickly an answer is presented, and the conflict is resolved. It is all quite simple and straightforward, but still excellently done. Format and structure wise, many story-based children’s books for this age group should do their best to imitate Blackboard Bear.
The message found within the story is where the points very quickly fall for this review. The primary conflict is that the main character is alone and wants to join the other boys at play, but they all turn him away. The solution the little boy comes up with is to create his own friend, a blackboard bear. But he does not settle for that, he takes his new pet bear to where the other boys are and shows them it, only to tell them that they cannot do anything with the bear. Finally, he draws the boys, as they invite him and his bear to go fishing, and feeds his drawings to the bear. What is being said in this is that the solution to your loneliness, and some people not wanting to spend time with you is to do something to show them why rejecting you was a bad idea. Seek revenge, not other people. It may also be implied that he may have fed the actual kids to the bear.
Regarding the art, it seems to invoke a similar aesthetic to the little golden books of times gone by. It is not too complicated, making the pages seem excessively busy, but is quite clean, and simple, so that anyone should be able to track with what is going on. This design choice is especially helpful as there are certain points in the book where there is no text, only the images conveying what is going on.
Following the story is easy, as mentioned before, due to the pictures on every page. And where clarity may be required, such as when the young boys speak to each other, there is text at the bottom of the page. Very naturally, and quickly, a need is presented, and then there is a conflict with that need, and fairly quickly an answer is presented, and the conflict is resolved. It is all quite simple and straightforward, but still excellently done. Format and structure wise, many story-based children’s books for this age group should do their best to imitate Blackboard Bear.
The message found within the story is where the points very quickly fall for this review. The primary conflict is that the main character is alone and wants to join the other boys at play, but they all turn him away. The solution the little boy comes up with is to create his own friend, a blackboard bear. But he does not settle for that, he takes his new pet bear to where the other boys are and shows them it, only to tell them that they cannot do anything with the bear. Finally, he draws the boys, as they invite him and his bear to go fishing, and feeds his drawings to the bear. What is being said in this is that the solution to your loneliness, and some people not wanting to spend time with you is to do something to show them why rejecting you was a bad idea. Seek revenge, not other people. It may also be implied that he may have fed the actual kids to the bear.
January 18, 2023
Blackboard Bear tells about a little boy who wants to play with a group of older friends. However, his friends tell him that he cannot play with them because he is too small. This saddens the boy who goes off by himself. He draws a picture of a bear on a blackboard and the bear comes to life. The boy then rides around on the bear in front of all the other kids refusing to let them play with his bear because they did not let him play with them.
The message in this book is obvious: if someone mistreats you, you are obligated to mistreat them. This message is particularly bad for children. Children already have this mindset, but now we are telling them that this is perfectly justifiable. This book presents a message to children that we should condemn rather than condone.
The message in this book is obvious: if someone mistreats you, you are obligated to mistreat them. This message is particularly bad for children. Children already have this mindset, but now we are telling them that this is perfectly justifiable. This book presents a message to children that we should condemn rather than condone.
January 14, 2023
Cute book! Not one of the ones I fall in love with, but still good! If I were reading it to my child I’d want to talk about how we each have our own “things” that we can do, enjoy, that are unique about us. I would also talk about how he could have set an example. How he could have done good to those that didn’t do good to him, and ask my kids if they thought that’s what he ended up doing after the bear ate lunch.
January 19, 2023
This book is okay. If you simply just read it, there isn’t anything bad, but if you think about the meaning and lesson of this book at all it’s pretty bad. The lesson boils down to if you get rejected then make yourself the rejecter. This isn’t a great message to be teaching kids even if it seems innocent. Spiritually, this book implies that jealousy and revenge are acceptable and admirable even. The child learns a lesson but not a good one. He learns a toxic way of getting back at those who mistreat him instead of learning to forgive them and to find good friends who won’t mistreat him. Like he is so fixated on his revenge that he is probably missing other opportunities to find and foster heathy friendships.
December 9, 2021
A boy is told that he is too little too play. So he draws in the older kids with his big imagination.
August 27, 2023
Liss loved it
May 13, 2024
IDK how this doesn't get 5 stars from every reader! It's so great. Doesn't every kid know what it is like to be told you're too little?
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews