There's a Bear on My Chair

An irate mouse does everything he can to shift the bear who is hogging his chair in this rhyming picture-book from Scotsman Ross Collins, but nothing seems to work. Glaring is ineffective, and his attempt to frighten the ursine interloper by jumping out in his underwear goes unnoticed. Finally, driven to distraction, the mouse goes off and finds another place to rest. Eventually getting bored, the bear heads home, only to discover that now he is the one who must deal with an intruder...

Although apparently a prolific illustrator - according to the dust-jacket blurb, he has illustrated over one hundred books for children - There's a Bear on My Chair is the first title from Ross Collins that I have read. I found it entertaining, show more appreciating the rhyming text - always a winner, especially when reading aloud to younger children! - the humor of the various situations outlined, and the droll charm of the illustrations. Collins does a good job capturing his two characters' emotional states, from the absolute frustration of Mouse to the contented obliviousness of Bear, adding to the appeal of his text. Recommended to children who have experienced frustration at having to share (quite a large proportion of them, I would imagine), as well as to anyone looking for rhyming tales for younger children. show less

The bear's demeanor kills me in this book. While the mouse drives himself insane trying to get the bear out of his chair, the bear just smirks at him with the confidence of someone not used to comeuppance - though the grin disappears from his face on the last page when the mouse gets his revenge!
The rhyming is so great in this book, I can't wait to read it to some kiddos!

A little mouse finds a large bear taking up space in his home. He tries everything to get the bear to leave, but nothing works until the surprise ending. Rhyming book that uses the same rhyming words throughout: bear, chair spare, share, pair, there, flair, wear...you get the idea. I like the concept and it is fun watching the mouse get upset and try different tactics to get the bear out.

This rhyming book tells a story about a bear and a mouse that can't seem to share. The polar bear is sitting on his chair and the mouse is getting frustrated with him not moving. The mouse decides to play the same trick on the bear and goes to his house and lays in his bed. This fun, engaging, and humorous story is a great way to teach younger children about word families.

I found this to be an adorable and engaging book because of its creative, rhyming text and humorous illustrations. It is about a mouse who tries to get a bear out of his chair, but when he seems to be failing, he finds a new comfy place to rest. I would recommend this book as a read aloud for students in kindergarten through third grade. Younger students will appreciate the comedic element, as well as observe rhyme within text. The book could also be used to build vocabulary and study r-controlled vowels.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I would personally read it to any elementary grade simply because of the illustrations and the vocabulary. The author used many high vocabulary for early elementary, but those students would still be able to figure out what the meaning is or what emotion is being told and felt. This story is about a mouse that tries many different methods and ways to get the bear out of his chair. After many attempts of trying, the mouse resorts in finding a new place to rest. His resting place is rather different compared to the chair because it is the polar bear's bed. In the end, the mouse is content and the bear is confused. Overall, it was a cute book with great illustrations.

Poor Mouse! A bear has settled in his favorite chair, and that chair just isn’t big enough for two. Mouse tries all kinds of tactics to move pesky Bear, but nothing works. Once Mouse has gone, Bear gets up and walks home. But what’s that? Is that a mouse in Bear’s house?