Moonbear's Bargain is about a bear and his bird friend who try and help each other out. The bear wants to learn how to fly and the bird want to become big and strong. The bear thinks of ways to help the bird become big but they do not work. He then thinks of an inventive way to make bird grow big and strong. Then the bear wants to learn to fly so bird tries to help. Bear cannot fly so Bird thinks of an inventive way for Bear to fly. This is a cute book for beginner readers or readers whoa are working on fluency. ( )

In this "Bear" book by Frank Asch, Bear wishes to learn how to fly and asks bird to teach him. Bird asks Bear to teach him how to be big. First Bear makes Bird eat the food he makes him and lift barbells. Not working, Bear and Bird plant a pumpkin seed, growing a pumpkin. On the unripe pumpkin, bear cuts a picture of bird. As the pumpkin grows, so does the picture of Bird. Bird then tries to show bear how to fly. First Bear jumps off of a rock and hits the ground. Not working, Bird and Bear go downtown to the craft store to buy supplies. They build a kite and bear paints a picture of himself on it; subsequently they fly the kite in the air, and Bear gets to fly. I enjoyed this "Bear" book. It shows children that anything is possible if you have the right mentality. The artwork is in the typical Frank Asch styling, simple yet effective, and the storyline continuity follows well, stock with clever humor; one scene that stuck out is Bear gluing himself to the seat while attempting to build a kite. ( )