A review by mat_tobin
Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik

5.0

An 'I Can Read' book from the late fifties, it contains several stories and interactions between Little Bear and Mother Bear. I love the relationship between the two, Mother knowing enough to tease her son a little and Little Bear encapsulating that gentle yet eager sense of inquisitiveness that we see in the young. Of course, it is Sendak's illustrations that drew me to the book but considering Minarik is bound by using simple language, she does remarkably well in capturing the spirit of both these central characters - this book puts all 'decodable texts' I have read to shame: quite remarkable for 250 words. When asked by Random House to change her bear to a human, she stated:

“...all children of all colors would be reading the stories,” Ms. Minarik told The Star News of Wilmington, N.C., in 2006. “All children love animals. The bear is fine. I love them because Mother took me to the Bronx Zoo every day, and I fell in love with the cubs. My bears were a family.”