Little Polar Bear

by Hans de Beer

Overview

Your favorite little polar bear in a BIG board format. 

What makes Lars, the little polar bear, so special?  Stories that "incorporate the unexpectedness of life events, the power of experiences to help form personal values, and the importance of both friendly help and self-reliance." (School Library Journal)  Now available as a 9x9 "lap edition" board book!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735823365
Publisher:	NorthSouth Books
Publication date:	01/01/2011
Series:	LITTLE POLAR BEAR Series
Pages:	16
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	2 - 4 Years

About the Author

Hans de Beer was born in Muiden, a small town near Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. He studied illustration at the Rietveld Academy of Art in Amsterdam. Hans de Beer's Little Polar Bear books enjoy great international success. They have been published in 18

Interviews

Muiden, the Netherlands.

Editorial Reviews

Children's Literature review of The Little Polar Bear in it's original picture book edition:

"This is an endearing picture book, with soft-colored illustrations that help give a very cold place a warm feel.

From the Publisher

Lars, an endearing young polar bear, wakes up to find that the ice he was sleeping on is floating south. He reaches a tropical land with no snow or ice, but amazing new colors! Though there is much to see and do, Lars gets homesick. His new friends arrange to get Lars back home, where he is happily reunited with his anxious parents.

Barnes & Noble Staff

``It was a big day for Lars''-bigger than he imagined, in fact, as the polar bear cub gets separated from his father and embarks on a fanciful journey. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

A little polar bear named Lars lives at the North Pole. His father taught him to swim and catch fish, but one night they were separated and Lars ends up in the tropics. Aided by Henry the hippo, Lars hitches a ride back home with a friendly whale, and there he is reunited with his dad. Aside from the total improbability of the story and the fact that male bears are not involved in raising their offspring, the story of separation and reunion will resonate with kids. They will understand Lars distress and share his joy when he returns safely home. The story and drawings have been repackaged in board book format. 1999 (orig.

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

Friendship and courage tell the story of Lars, a little polar bear who rescues a hare named Hugo from a deep snowy hole. Quick friends, the two play games. Yet when Hugo is too scared to follow Lars down a steep hill, Lars nicknames him "scaredy-hare." When a fierce snowstorm rages around them, they cannot find their way home. And then the curious polar bear gets trapped in a research station and becomes a "scaredy-bear." Hugo overcomes his own fear to rescue his friend. An "Easy-to-Read Book."

Children's Literature - Barbara B. Disckind

Even creatures at the North Pole get lonely. One day, Lars, a little polar bear, discovers Hugo, a little hare, stuck down a deep hole. After Lars rescues Hugo, they become fast friends, running and racing throughout the miles of snow. When Lars gets stuck at a polar station, it is Hugo's turn to do the rescuing. The two soon discover that they are good company for one another. This is an endearing picture book, with soft-colored illustrations that help give a very cold place a warm feel.

Children's Literature - Sheree Van Vreede

Gr 2-4-- Set at the North Pole, this is a gentle beginning reader about Lars, a polar bear who comes upon a little hare in need of rescue. Hugo has somehow gotten himself stranded at the bottom of a deep hole. Lars kicks down a pile of snow that allows Hugo to climb out, and together the new friends set off to find Hugo's home. When they spot a car (with caterpillarlike ``wheels''), they know that they are near the research station. The two of them explore and Lars soon finds himself inside, having fallen through a hole in the roof. It is now Lars's turn to be rescued, and the pair become life-long friends. Other than the snowy terrain, the story could take place anywhere, and this friendship is not unlike that of Lobel's ``Frog and Toad'' (HarperCollins). The softly colored illustrations will help readers comprehend the plot and the story's fast-moving action. Those who have emerged from the decoding stage will find this predictable story just right for reinforcing their reading skills. --Sharron McElmeel, Cedar Rapids Community Schools, IA

School Library Journal

Little Polar Bear And The Brave Little Hare (32 pp.; PLB Nov. 1; 0-7358-1011-7; PLB 0- 7358-1012-5): Lars (Little Polar Bear, Take Me Home!, 1996, etc.) gains a new friend in his latest adventure. In his trademark pink, purple, and blue pastel-colored arctic landscape, Lars saves Hugo, a nervous hare, from a hole. As fast friends they race, get caught in a storm, snuggle up against one another for warmth, share a picnic, and find their way home, but not before Hugo gets to show his own courage by getting Lars out of a jam. Such teamwork and fond friendship will win readers' hearts while the falling snow and expressive faces will dazzle their eyes. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews