Little Polar Bear Finds a Friend

Wandering near his home one day, Lars the little polar bear is captured by hunters looking to find animals for the zoo. With the help of a friendly Walrus and a little brown bear named Bea, he escapes from captivity, setting out (once again) to get home. Bea, separated from her parents, comes along with him, but will Lars' parents accept a brown bear into the family...?

Originally published in Switzerland as Kleiner Eisbär, nimm mich mit! (literally: "Little Polar Bear, Take Me With You"), Little Polar Bear Finds a Friend is the third in author/artist Hans de Beer's extensive picture-book series devoted to Lars' adventures. Like its predecessors, it pairs a sweet, heartwarming tale with appealing illustrations. Also like its show more predecessors, it features a tale in which Lars finds himself unwilling borne away from home, and struggling to return. This little polar bear can't seem to stay in the arctic, no matter how hard he tries! Recommended to fans of the previous books, and to anyone looking for picture-books about (fictional) polar bears. show less

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Picture book
Grade: K-3
Modern Fantasy
This is a heartwarming tale of a lonely little polar bear who gets seperated from his family. He gets trapped by people and the try to transfer him and many other animals to the zoo. During transport the little polar bear gets out of his cage and frees all of the other animals. None of the other animals want to go to this "zoo". They all want to get back home where they are free. That is why I think that freedom is one of the most important aspects of this story. The little polar bear teams up with a seal and a little brown bear. The little brown bear's parents had already been taken so she and the polar bear decide that she will come live in the Artic with his family. The little brown bear show more is concerned that the polar bear's parents will not like her because she is brown. That is where equality comes into play. Multiple times in the story "bears are bears" is repeated. Knowing that color did not matter reassured the brown bear and her and the polar bear become very good friends and are eventually like brother and sister. In the end of the story you are left knowing that they are very lucky to have found one another, regardless of color. show less

Picture
This was a really well illustrated book, but I thought the story was lacking. I think maybe it's part of a larger series, but the story just wasn't very strong, and I don't think an author should phone it in just because it's a children's book. However I do appreciate the theme of friendship and loyalty, and of racial equality (among bears).

This is a fictional series book that has beautiful watercolored illustrations. The magnitude of the illustrations makes the adventures seem more grand and real. The content of this story is about a little polar bear who gets captured and is being sent to a zoo. He frees himself and a couple other animals. They all make friends. It is a subtle hint at promoting interratial relationships. This is a great story to help children develop their imaginations. It is a great story of friendship as well. The reading level of this group is from first grade to third grade. Some curricular connections could be bears, friendship, and adventurous fiction.

Lars' curiosity gets him in trouble, but will lots of cooperation, Lars manages to get home again, with a friend in tow. I love the illustrations.

The wandering polar bear cub is caught and put on a boat where he makes friends with all the other captured animals especially a walrus and a little brown bear. They escape from their crates when the plane lands and explore this new place. They finally want to go home and the walrus carries the two little bears. The little brown bear is adopted by the mama and papa polar bear

While searching for someone to play with, Lars is caught in a trap and finds himself in a cargo plane destined for a zoo.