Little Polar Bear and the Big Balloon

by Hans de Beer, Rosemary Lanning (Translator), Hans de Beer (Illustrator)

Overview

Lars, the Little Polar Bear, spends his days watching the seagulls circling overhead and dreams of flying in the sky like a bird. One day, he meets a lost puffin who cannot fly home because his wings are sticky with oil. Always ready to help a friend in need, Lars takes the little puffin to the healing waters of the hot spring, where they discover a huge hot-air balloon. At last, it seems that Lars's dream of exploring the sky will come true! But flying high above the ground is scary...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735820777
Publisher:	NorthSouth Books
Publication date:	09/28/2006
Series:	LITTLE POLAR BEAR Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	6.96(w) x 9.66(h) x 0.11(d)
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

About the Author

Hans de Beer was born in 1957 in Muiden, near Amsterdam. After briefly studying history, he attended courses at the Rietveld Art Academy in Amsterdam. His dissertation on Lars, the little polar bear, gained him international success and countless awards, and it has so far been translated into thirty languages. Today he lives as a freelance illustrator with his partner, an Italian illustrator, and they have homes in Amsterdam and just outside Florence.

Editorial Reviews

K-Gr 2-Lars, the little polar bear who has starred in several previous adventures, dreams of flying. When a puffin dives past him into the sea, he tells Lars that he cannot fly home because his wings are coated with oil from a slick. Eager to help, the young hero offers to take Yuri to the hot springs where he can wash it off. When the two new friends discover a hot-air balloon, Lars jumps into the basket, Yuri follows, and soon they are airborne. High above the clouds, Yuri flies off and bear and balloon drift safely down for a landing. The puffin promises to visit the next summer, and Lars decides that he is quite content to stay on the ground. The upbeat, playful illustrations, some full page and some spot art, show the two small characters against large, icy landscapes. Once the adventure begins, the purple-and-orange balloon takes center stage and adds an element of suspense. Fans of the series won't be disappointed.-Meghan R. Malone, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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