Bear of My Heart (Classic Board Books Series)

by Joanne Ryder, Margie Moore (Illustrator)

Overview

There are so many bears in the world dear,
but there's no other one that will do.
You are the bear of my heart, dear,
and I am the one who lives you.

Every mother makes promises to share the joys and wonders of the world with her children and Mother Bear is no exception. As Mother Bear introduces her child to the hills, lakes, caves and starry nights, she reminds Baby that no matter what, he will always remain the bear of her heart and she will always be there for him.

With Joanne Ryder's heartfelt lyrical text and adorable illustrations by Margie Moore, this beautiful hardcover is now available in board book and is perfect book for sharing on Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, or any day of the year!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416954729
Publisher:	Little Simon
Publication date:	12/22/2009
Series:	Classic Board Books Series
Edition description:	Repackage
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	321,325
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 6.30(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	1 - 4 Years

About the Author

Joanne Ryder is the award-winning author of numerous children's books about the natural world, including Little Panda: The World Welcomes Hua Mei at the San Diego Zoo. Some of her other books include Bears Out There, Chipmunk Song, The Snail's Spell, and White Bear, Ice Bear. Before becoming a full-time writer, Joanne worked as a children's book editor in New York City. She lives in California.

Margie Moore has illustrated several books for children, including Count the Ways, Little Brown Bear, which PW praised for her "aesthetic sense and emotional depth," and Bartholomew's Blessing, which Kirkus described as "delightful." She lives with her family in West Belmar, New Jersey.

Editorial Reviews

During a sunny day together, a parent bear (the gender is never specified) tells its cub all the ways in which the little one is "the bear of my heart, dear,/ and I am the one who loves you." These include telling many stories, seeing wonderful places together, racing in the sun and splashing in the stream. Ryder's (My Mother's Voice) singsong meter elevates these simple pleasures into a lullaby anthem: "Let's sit nose to nose and share secrets./ Let's wish on a star, eyes shut tight./ Let's whisper our dreams in the darkness./ Let's snuggle together at night." For her part, Moore (Bartholomew's Blessing) suggests an intimacy between parent and child that's reassuring but never suffocating; in one scene, the cub sits on the parent's back, blending into the curve of the older animal yet retaining its own individuality. The watercolors' velvety textures and soft hues convey an idyllic life, and the animals' comfortingly bulky shapes are embellished with just enough wispy brushstrokes to let readers know just how snuggly soft their coats are. There will always be a need for books like this one: unabashedly emotional while successfully skirting treacle. Ages 3-6. (Dec.)

Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

For any child who wants a little reassurance, the message of constant love is expressed by a mother bear to her cub in this story. They explore together, play together, share secrets, and snuggle together. Realities aside, the message is warm and the pictures are also sweet. Some are almost too sweet, such as the one with the mother and her bear cub cuddled together while looking at a rainbow stretching across the sky. The actions and feeling are probably more appropriate for humans than bears. Especially since cubs who grow up go off on their own, and I am not sure that mother bears would have the same feelings as human parents who would indeed say "No matter how big you may grow, dear, or whether we're near or apart, I will love you forever and ever..."

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

PreS
A simple tale of a mother's love for her child. The story, in one-line rhyming verse, is told from the point of view of a mother bear. She promises her cub all of life's simple pleasures (splashing in streams, gazing at stars, snuggling and hugging) that they can share. And of course, there is the reassurance that no matter how old the cub gets, or how far it wanders, the mother's love will last "forever and ever,/for YOU are the bear of my heart." This book covers ground already well trod by Sam McBratney's Guess How Much I Love You (Candlewick, 1995), Nancy Tafuri's I Love You, Little One (Scholastic, 1998), and Margaret Wise Brown's The Runaway Bunny (HarperCollins, 1942). Moore's illustrations, rendered in watercolor, are dominated by the bears, which helps to reinforce the all-encompassing relationship between the two. This book will appeal to new mothers and is suitable for lap-time sharing.
—Kara Schaff DeanCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

No matter what they are doing, what their moods are, or how far apart they may be, a bear parent reassures a bear cub that she will always be there: "You are the bear of my heart, dear, / and I am the one who loves you." In gentle rhyming verse, Ryder follows a bear and her cub through their day, seeing new things, splashing, rolling, watching clouds, wishing on stars and snuggling. She then promises to be there should the bear cub need her-if he is lost, lonely or sad-and explains that nothing will ever change that. Moore's watercolors perfectly capture the mood of the text, tenderly rendering the pair as they explore the world together and express their love. While the cover blurb describes the characters as mother and child, the text and illustrations are ambiguous enough to fit any relationship or gender combination, making it ideal for adoptive, single and step parents, as well as for the traditional family. A must-have for the parents of young children and the libraries that serve them. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews