Little Bear's Friend

Little Bear makes a human friend in this third early reader devoted to his adventures, discovering that allowing new people into one's life can bring both pleasure and sorrow. Like its two predecessors, Little Bear and Father Bear Comes Home, there are four brief stories presented here, beginning with Little Bear and Emily, in which little bear and little girl first meet and become friends. Duck, Baby Sitter sees the two meeting up with Little Bear's anatine friend, on their way to a party; while The Party at Owl's House sees Emily and her doll Lucy being introduced to Little Bear's circle of friends. All things must come to an end, and in Your Friend, Little Bear, our young ursine hero is distraught when Emily must leave at the end of show more the summer, but comforted by the knowledge that he can keep in touch with her through letter-writing.

First published in 1960, Little Bear's Friend was, together with its four companion volumes, an important part of my childhood library, and I can recall curling up with it on numerous occasions. Text and artwork - supplied by Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak, respectively - work together seamlessly in these stories, drawing the young readers in to a fully realized world, one in which the child perspective is treated with respect and depicted with sympathy. As is the case with all of the Little Bear books, I loved the interaction between Little Bear and Mother Bear here - the teasing dialogue and underlying affection - as well as the immensely expressive artwork. Little Bear looks a little softer to me here, for some reason - a little cuter than in the previous two, perhaps? - but his facial expressions are still as droll and winsome as ever!

All in all, a lovely little book, one that I would strongly recommend to beginning readers looking for real stories, rather than reading exercises disguised as stories. show less

Little Bear is cute and kind, if somehow literal-minded--and if on the one hand I like that Emily's family are seemingly travelling tinkers or Roma people and it goes unremarked, I'm also a bit queasy about the gender representations here--does Little Bear's father have to be that much home from his job in the City with his hand tucked into his waistcoat, and could his mother perhaps call to mind at least the housewife of 1960 (when this book was written) and not 1860 with her dress that looks like a nightgown or her nightgown that looks like a dress? Shame, Maurice Sendak. But this is sweet.

Little Free Library find. I cannot get over how mostly timeless these are. I think it helps that they were 'old-fashioned' even when they were new....

I still think it's funny that Mother has to deal with the heavy skirts, and Little Bear gets to run around bare. And you'll want to explain to your children that regular families used to vacation in tents, instead of RVs/caravans... Emily is not homeless.

I think these are important books, too. This one has a lot to 'teach' a young re-reader about friendship.... For example laughing at each other when you & friends put on party hats is ok, not mocking. And wanting to give someone a special going-away present is difficult.

Little Bear's Friend is a sweet, smart read about young animals, Little Bear, Owl, Cat, Duck, Hen and and one young girl, Emily socializing.

To the early reader they demonstrate how respect, conversation and sympathy are positive ways to participate in friendships. At the end the book gently touches on the benefit of going to school. Learning to write can help when someone misses a friend.

I especially liked the way this book started. Little Bear is up in a tree; he's seeing and feeling his little neck of the woods, which is his whole world for now.

Hope my grandsons will enjoy this book as much as I did.

Lesser know Maurice Sendak is the best Maurice Sendak. Sweet, ponderous, clear.

Vanilla writing. Sendak’s illustrations pull the book up several notches.

Little Bear establishes a new friendship with Emily throughout the summer. When Emily leaves at the end of the summer Little Bear writes her a letter to stay in touch. This book is wonderful for new readers because it addresses learning to read and write along with learning how to make friends. The animals provide diversity amongst the main characters, similar to the diversity in the human race. In my own personal opinion, this book warms the heart because of it's charm and innocence. This book would be good for a beginning reader or for a parent or educator to read aloud to the class.