Bear does not care to have visitors over. But when a tiny unwelcome guest pops in for repeated visits, Bear's patience is put to the test. His guest is a persistent mouse who just wants to spend time with Bear—maybe have a spot of tea, or a bit of cheese—but Bear, intolerant as he is, will have none of it. So out goes Mouse, and Bear proceeds (several times, mind you) to shut the door behind him. But each time he returns to the business of fixing breakfast, out pops Mouse from some new hiding place in his house, annoying Bear once more with his presence. Mouse pops up so often in fact that it eventually forces Bear to Mouse-proof his house, but that is still not enough to deter our little guest. In the end, cooler heads prevail and we see what a good deal of persistence can accomplish in this touching tale of new friendship.That said, beautiful gouache watercolors by artist Kady MacDonald Denton graces each page, accompanied by light line art inks that form a refined style that is all Denton's own. The book is simply stunning, and you'll probably find yourself staring at the art long after you've read the pages. Four and a half stars. Golden Sower NomineeAudience: primaryGenre: beast talesPre-reading Strategy: predictingI would ask my class to come up with ideas about what the story is going to be about. First we would discuss the title and come up with ideas from that. All of the items that students came up with would be recorded on the board. Then the students would look at the front cover and picture and brainstorm everything that comes to mind when they see that picture. Then, after we finished reading the story, we would compare what actually happened to what we thought would happen.
What do You think about A Visitor For Bear (2008)?
Beautiful illustrations and a great story on an unlikely friendship.
—Tania
One of my favorites to read to my daycare kiddos:-)
—erin
