Little Bear's Visit

Little Bear spends some time with his grandparents in this fourth early-reader from author Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrator Maurice Sendak, enjoying everything about his visit, from the games he plays to the stories he hears. In Grandmother and Grandfather Bear, the first of four brief stories or chapters, he devours Grandmother Bear's delicious treats, and wears Grandfather Bear out with his play. Mother Bear's Robin features a story within a story, as Little Bear asks for and listens to a tale from his own mother's girlhood, when she briefly adopted a lost Robin. Goblin Story is another story within a story, this time related by Grandfather Bear, who spins the spooky tale of a little goblin who finds himself pursued show more by...something. Finally, Not Tired sees our little ursine hero waiting for his parents to come pick him up after his visit, insisting - even as he is falling asleep - that he is not tired.

I loved all five of the Little Bear books as a young girl, but Little Bear's Visit was a particular favorite! With a text that captures all the warmth of family love - Grandmother and Grandfather Bear are affectionate and wise, clearly understanding their Little Bear's needs and desires - and beautifully expressive artwork that is truly deserving of the Caldecott Honor it received, this is a truly brilliant little book. Rereading it as an adult, I was struck by some of the details - Little Bear informing his grandfather that he had been warned not to tire him out, and being told in return that Grandfathers don't get tired; Grandmother Bear and Little Bear complimenting one another on their skipping skills; Grandfather Bear telling Little Bear that it is OK to hold his paw while listening to a frightening story, because he (Grandfather) might be frightened - that make this story so rich, despite its textual simplicity.

Little Bear's Visit is, together with its companion volumes, one of the truly great contributions to children's literature - one I highly recommended to all young beginning readers, as well as to fans of Maurice Sendak's artwork. show less

I remember the Little Bear books fondly, but not from my childhood. Perhaps from reading them to children I was babysitting. This is a typically gentle story with two short embedded tales.

ToC
Grandmother and Grandfather Bear
Mother Bear's Robin
Goblin Story
Not Tired

The stories - and Sendak's illustrations - are old-fashioned but timeless and charming. The four stories can be read independently in any order, but are nested such that it makes more sense to read them straight through. Little touches of humor (as at the end of "Not Tired" when Little Bear is not tired...he's fast asleep) keep the stories from being too plain.

In my opinion, “Little Bear’s Visit” is a wonderful book for children who are just beginning to read chapter books. The story’s plot is something that many children can relate to because it is about visiting grandparents. The plot was not suspenseful, but it was organized and paced well. In the story, Little Bear visits his grandfather and grandmother. He listens to riveting stories that his grandparents tell. His grandmother tells him about when she was young and became friends with a bird. Little Bear’s grandfather tells him a silly story about a goblin who was afraid of his own shoes. Towards the end of the visit, Little Bear falls asleep from his long day. The writing style is very engaging. For example, the grandfather show more says, “One day a little goblin went by an old cave. It was old. It was cold. It was dark. And something inside it went bump. What was that? BUMP! ‘Hoo-ooh—’ cried the goblin.” The book also incorporates some illustrations. The illustrations display sketches that were created by pencils. These illustrations show pictures of the most memorable parts of the story. For example, there are pictures for when Little Bear arrives at his grandparents’ house, during his grandparents’ stories, and when he falls asleep. The big idea is to teach children that they can learn many things from their grandparents and that they can have fun with them. show less

A lovely book describing the special times a grandchild has with their grandparents.

Rating 9/10 servings of cookies before dinner.

I love this book because of its realistic plot. It's about a bear cub who goes to visit his grandparents house to have fun, tell stories, and just spend some time with them. The main reason children get interested in books as they read them is because they are relatable. This book is very relatable because most children love to go to their grandparents house; I know to this day, I do. I also liked how in the illustrations some parts of the drawings were green, it really made the details stand out. I think the purpose of this story is to just tell a relatable story to young children so that they can tell their grandparents that read a story about what they do in real life.

Little Bear's Visit is a delightfully illustrated early reader story about Little Bear as he goes and visits his grandparents home and learns stories about his mother. Else Minarik's Little Bear series holds a place in many hearts as it's one of the first books many of us learn to read with. The combination of heart and imagination (and the wonderful pictures by Maurice Sendak), Little Bear gently welcomed us into reading. Little Bear's Visit won a Randolph Caldecott Medal Award for literature.