The Very Cranky Bear

I usually need a bit more substance in a picture book than cuteness for a full-length review here, but this book was so funny that I felt it deserved a spotlight.

In the Jingle Jangle Jungle, Moose, Lion, Zebra and Sheep find a great cave to hang out in on a cold, rainy day. Yes, there's a sheep in the jungle. Also a moose. They're playing cards, possibly a little poker judging by the sly grins on their faces, when they realize they're not alone...the cave actually belongs to a BEAR and he's quite unhappy about this noisy group of card-players. So out they go into the rain, leaving their cards behind. The animals decide that what cheers them up; stripes, antlers, and a mane, will surely cheer up the bear. Nope. But it sure does make him show more look silly! But with some extra information from Bear, Sheep realizes what's needed - a nice, fluffy pillow. Luckily, she's got just the thing.

If you've never encountered Nick Bland's illustrations before, you should know that he is the king of British cute. His animals are roly-poly, slick and colorful, little bundles of adorableness. Even the cranky bear is adorably cranky.

Verdict: There's a nice bounce to the rhyming text and this will definitely be a hit with toddlers and preschoolers, who will wait with bated breath to find out what's in the cave and roar with laughter when the animals deck bear out in their best attributes. Recommended.

ISBN: 9780545612692; US edition published July 2014 by Orchard; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Added to the library's order list show less

This story centers around a bear who is in a very bad mood. He’s cranky, grouchy, and refuses to let anyone near his cave. Three animal friends, Lion, Zebra, and Moose, decide to try to cheer him up by offering him things that might make him feel better, but their attempts only seem to make him more annoyed. Each one offers their own solution, but nothing works until the friends come together to figure out what really might help the cranky bear. The illustrations are vibrant and engaging, and the way the animals interact with the bear is both amusing and relatable. There’s a certain charm to the way the animals are trying to help, despite their own frustrations. The rhyming text flows smoothly, making it easy to read aloud and keep show more kids entertained.
One of the best things about The Very Cranky Bear is the way it highlights the importance of empathy and understanding, sometimes, people (or bears) just need a little space, and that’s okay. It’s a fun, easy read that leaves you with a sweet, positive message at the end. Highly recommend it for parents and kids alike! show less

4,5 stars
My inner child loves even more than I do. It's actually much more funny than scary, and the theme is one I treasure: The Golden Rule is not always the best; you have to put yourself in the place of the other to understand what they need.

There's even a second theme about vanity, but that is more subtle and I only caught it on my second pass through.

The very Cranky Bear is a delightful and fun story about a bear who starts the day in a bad mood but learns how friendship and kindness can make him feel better. The illustrations are colorful and expressive, and the story is easy for young readers to enjoy. It’s a wonderful book for teaching about emotions and how small acts of care can make a big difference.

Jake's Review: I liked this picture book, it was really funny and easy to read. I think little kids like my brother would like this book since the pictures are colorful and goofy. The rhyme sounds really good when you read it aloud and I'm sure mom would say the story has a good moral to it (parent's love that moral stuff) The book is also really strong so even my brother wouldn't be able to destroy it when he throws it across the room (Oh no mom's going to cry again when she reads this -- the midget doesn't like books)

Jake's Rating: 9/10

Mom's Review: OMG, I just adored this board book. The illustrations are worth the price of the book alone and will appeal to kids of all ages (and yes that includes overgrown kids like me). The rhyme show more flows nicely and would be a great story for reading aloud or for older kids to develop their language skills. The expressions on the animals are priceless and will make you giggle and smile. Story also has a nice message and its done in a non schmaltzy in your face way that kids will enjoy. You must go out and snag yourself a copy of this, you will not be disappointed. I'm still giggling over the picture of the bear dressed up like a lion.

Mom's Rating: 10/10 show less

What a delight! Four young animal friends decide a dry but dark cave is the perfect place to take shelter from a downpour. They have just settled into a sociable game of cards when a weary, bad-tempered bear chases them out of the cave and into the rain. Three of the pals decide that the bear’s misery must be due to his rather nondescript appearance. When their ill-advised makeover does nothing to improve the bear’s mood, it is left to ‘a plain but thoughtful sheep’ to make the cantankerous bear comfortable.

I enjoyed reading The Very Cranky Bear for three reasons. First, I enjoyed that the story included animals. I thought this was a very creative way to get the story’s’ message across. The story included a lion, bear, sheep, and zebra. Second, this story included rhyming words which made the story fascinating to read (ex. In the Jingle Jangle Jungle on a cold and rainy day, four little friends found a perfect place to play). Third, whenever the bear in the story “roared” the font increased in size and was capitalized. This was a great way for me to emphasize the word in my head as I read along. In The Very Cranky Bear, the author engages readers by using animals that talk and share with each other. The big message behind this show more story is that sharing is an important quality. In the end, the bear shared his cave with the lion, sheep, and zebra while the sheep shared his wool with the bear. show less