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90sinmyheart's review against another edition
4.0
Nice illustrations, easy to read out loud, and short: the holy trifecta of picture books
Edited to add: bonus, the holy 4th detail: controversy among Goodreads reviewers, because.
Edited to add: bonus, the holy 4th detail: controversy among Goodreads reviewers, because
Spoiler
the bear tells a girl that he is upset at being in a zoo instead of the wild and at the end of the story, the girl lets her pet bird go freerdyourbookcase's review against another edition
2.0
I wasn’t very impressed with it. The story ended abruptly. It had a nice thought behind it, though. I know some people who would like it, but it’s not for me.
beths0103's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of those books with an ambiguous ending that really makes you stop and think. Great for discussion with older kids, though I'm entirely sure how much it would be understood by little ones.
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
3.0
This one is a tough one to rate.
Strengths:
- sweet story
- has a good central message about letting animals live in their natural habitats. Will be great for conversations!
- good to use to show how thinking changes as you read
- strong, vocabulary use
Weaknesses:
- This book is intended for a young audience, but I'm not sure the central message is communicated clearly enough for young kids to understand.
Strengths:
- sweet story
- has a good central message about letting animals live in their natural habitats. Will be great for conversations!
- good to use to show how thinking changes as you read
- strong, vocabulary use
Weaknesses:
- This book is intended for a young audience, but I'm not sure the central message is communicated clearly enough for young kids to understand.
melissarochelle's review against another edition
3.0
The message here is to free any animals in cages. A perfectly fine message assuming no kid tries to free a bear from their local zoo or their pet bird without at least asking permission first.
starnosedmole's review
A beautifully illustrated yet sobering book about animals living in captivity. This may appeal to vegans and others who are seeking to introduce concepts of animal cruelty to children.
saragrochowski's review
4.0
In I KNOW A BEAR, a child befriends a bear at the zoo who regales her with stories of the Land of the Bears, a vast, wondrous place the bear once called home and sorely misses. Inspired by the bear's stories, the child returns home to release her pet bird into the wild. This is a tender, touching story that gives a voice to animals taken from their natural habitats for human entertainment. Even if this message goes over young readers' heads, they'll enjoy the gentle cadence of the story and the beautiful illustrations.
tashrow's review
4.0
A little girl gets to know a bear who comes from somewhere that he calls The Land of Bears. Breakfasts there are sweet as honey, the land is vast, and the rivers are lovely for swimming. Even the naps are better there, they go on for months. But he can never return there, since he is in a zoo. So the little girl has an idea, something that will let him feel a connection with the wilderness and something that she can set free. It’s a powerful idea too.
Johnson tells this story in very short sentences, which one might think would be terse but instead feel slow and Zen-like. It is a book about a girl who is forging her own connections with animals, making her own decisions too. There are no adults in the story, just one little girl and one huge hairy bear. It is a book about small choices making a big difference in the world. It is simple and luminous.
Johnson’s illustrations have a wonderful light touch to them. The pages with the huge bear can be dark and filled with fur, but then the book opens to a new page filled with white and lightness. They are studies in contrast but also create a book that is a joy to read through with changes of feel from one page to the next.
An empowering story about one little girl and her connection with one big bear and the beauty of freedom. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Johnson tells this story in very short sentences, which one might think would be terse but instead feel slow and Zen-like. It is a book about a girl who is forging her own connections with animals, making her own decisions too. There are no adults in the story, just one little girl and one huge hairy bear. It is a book about small choices making a big difference in the world. It is simple and luminous.
Johnson’s illustrations have a wonderful light touch to them. The pages with the huge bear can be dark and filled with fur, but then the book opens to a new page filled with white and lightness. They are studies in contrast but also create a book that is a joy to read through with changes of feel from one page to the next.
An empowering story about one little girl and her connection with one big bear and the beauty of freedom. Appropriate for ages 3-5.