The bear and the moon

Select an Action

Title :

The bear and the moon / words by Matthew Burgess ; pictures by Catia Chien.

Title:

The bear and the moon

Varying Form of Title:

Bear & the moon

Author:

Burgess, Matthew

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 28 cm

ISBN:

9781452171913

Production / Publication Information:

San Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2020]

Summary:

"When the gift of a balloon floats into Bear's life, the two companions embark on a journey of discovery as small as a clearing in the forest . . . and as deep as the sky"--

Language:

English

Added Author:

Chien, Catia

Genre:

Picture books.

Subject Term:

Bears -- Juvenile fiction.

Balloons -- Juvenile fiction.

Friendship -- Juvenile fiction.

Bears -- Fiction.

Balloons -- Fiction.

Friendship -- Fiction.

JUVENILE FICTION / General.

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	E BEARS (BIN)	31990004984907	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Amesbury Public Library	E BURGESS	32114002608579	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library Children's Room	JE BUR	31330008964797	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Billerica Public Library	E/BUR	33934004355658	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Chelmsford Public Library	JJ/BURGESS	31480011444582	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Georgetown Peabody Library	JJ BURGESS	32120001336120	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groton Public Library	JJ BUR	37003701845274	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Hamilton-Wenham Public Library	JJ BUR	30470001869980	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Haverhill Public Library	J/PIC/BURGESS	31479007414310	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Ipswich Public Library	JE BURGESS	32122002902819	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lawrence Public Library	E FRIENDS BUR	31549004848833	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library	JJ BUR	32124001956952	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Merrimac Public Library	JJ BUR	32125001380564	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Methuen - Nevins Memorial Library	J-ER BUR	31548003315935	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Middleton - Flint Public Library	JJ BUR	32126001762546	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... North Andover - Stevens Memorial Library	JP ANIMALS FOREST BUR	31478003652725	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Salisbury Public Library	YJ BUR	32131000900725	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tewksbury Public Library	JJ BUR	32132003231175	Searching... Unknown

The Bear and the Moon is a picture book that follows what happens when the gift of a balloon floats into Bear's life.

The two companions embark on a journey--a magical tale that encompasses the joys of friendship and discovery.

This is a gentle book filled with humor, while tackling complex topics like the transcendence of loss and forgiveness.

* Filled with emotive text and radiant illustrations
* Simply told and profoundly felt
* Award winning author-illustrator team

The Bear and the Moon is a compassionate tale that honors the small but profound world of the very young.

This sweet book teaches social and emotional skills to kids, and offers a clever way to soothe some of our most difficult feelings: loss and guilt.

* Just as ideal for gently soothing young readers to sleep as it is for encouraging a contemplative break from an energetic day
* Great for parents, grandparents, and caregivers looking for a beautiful friendship or bedtime story
* Resonates year-round as a go-to gift for birthdays, holidays, and more
* Perfect for children ages 3 to 5 years old
* Add it to the shelf with books like Waiting by Kevin Henkes, Emily's Balloon by Komako Sakai, and Stellaluna by Janell Cannon.

Reviews (5)

School Library Journal Review

PreS-K--A simple red balloon provokes joy, shock, sadness, and, ultimately, peace in this tone poem to kinship. The titular bear discovers a red balloon and immediately delights in it. "What a nice thing! What a wonderful thing! /What a squishable, huggable thing!" The balloon becomes a companion, and the bear eats, sleeps, and even sits "on the pot" with it. Then, in a playful moment, the balloon suddenly pops. After a period of denial, the bear falls into depression and self-loathing. Only the majesty of the full moon can help soothe the bear into a peaceful sleep, dancing with its beloved balloon in happy memories. Chien works with a primarily red and blue color palette in her mixed media illustrations. The simplicity of the outlines and colors create some truly lovely spreads, and the little bear is a charmer. Through the bear's expressive face, young children can easily discern and relate to many emotions. VERDICT Spare text and simple illustration will immerse listeners at story times in this quiet take on love and loss.--Jessica Ko, Los Angeles P.L.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Burgess (Drawing on Walls: A Life of Keith Haring) and Chien (The Town of Turtle) add savor to a simple story with visceral writing and elemental artwork. A red balloon floats toward a young black bear: "It was red as a berry and round like the moon with a long silver string drifting brightly in the breeze." The bear's roly-poly body provides a cozy counterpoint to the balloon's smooth surface. The two engage in a pas de deux--"When he walked, it walked. When he danced, it danced"--until a too-eager bear hug ends the balloon's short life. The animal is stricken ("Bad bear, he thought. Bad, bad bear") until comfort arrives from another sky-given orb, which "reached down to him and gently stroked his fur." Chien creates each spread with a sense of freshness, giving the expressive bear's world an ancient feel with long horizons and sheets of color. Burgess writes with nimble emotionality; sprightly phrases lead up to the balloon's demise ("What a wonderful thing! What a squishable, huggable thing!"), and genuine mourning occurs after. Together, the creators deliver an essential message of self-acceptance: "Good bear. Kind bear. Don't worry, bear." Ages 3--5. Author's agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary Studio. Illustrator's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Sept.)

Horn Book Review

A wide-eyed bear -- a furry stand-in for toddlers learning to manage strong emotions, as well as readers of all ages dealing with sorrow -- spots a red balloon on a string. The smitten bear plays with it, believing that this "small red moon" is a gift from the sky. When he attempts to hug it, the balloon pops. The bear fails to fix it, grieves the loss, and takes the blame: "Bad bear," he thinks. When the shimmering moon rises that night, it speaks: "Good bear. Kind bear. Don't worry, bear." The bear, absolved of his guilt, relies on memories to sustain him, and he dreams of dancing with his departed balloon friend. Burgess's unassuming language is endearing (bear wakes from a "snooze" and gives the balloon "a tour of his whereabouts"), and there are sweet moments of humor ("This is the spot where I sit on the pot," the bear tells the balloon near a waterfall). The pacing is flawless: shortly before it happens, readers anticipate the plot's tragic turn by spotting bear's sharp claws as he lovingly grips his friend. Chien's hazy, atmospheric illustrations, which employ playful perspectives, feature splendid vistas with rich washes of color, though she also knows when to let the bear take the focus in crisp white space. This one packs an emotional punch, and not just for preschoolers: it's about no less than loss, self-forgiveness, and the ways in which memories can serve to mitigate grief. Julie Danielson November/December 2020 p.67(c) Copyright 2020. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

A playful bear makes an ephemeral friend. An expressive little black bear befriends something "red as a berry / and round like the moon / with a long silver string" in this sweet story. The bear has large ears, a white nose, and tottering, toddler-ish proportions sure to charm, and his buoyant companion somehow manages to "smile back at him like a friend" through vibrancy alone. The straightforward writing floats through Chien's soft-textured, multimedia illustrations with heartwarming ease as the pair dance, find honey, and roll down a hill in glowing, abstract landscapes. When the inevitable occurs, as any little one enamored with something as squishable and huggable as a balloon will learn, the bear's sorrow overcomes him. "Bad bear, / he thought. / Bad, bad bear. // Night fell, / but the bear / skipped his dinner." The little bear sinks into deep blue spreads, but his grief melts even the heart of the moon, and with a little celestial reassurance, the bear comes to value his good memories, giving the book a satisfying amount of substance. In the author's and illustrator's expert hands, readers are sure to feel lighter than air and ready for bed. The dreamy spread in which the bear receives his message from the moon is worth a mention all on its own, charming and cheerful as the rest of the book may be, as are velvety lavender endpapers featuring the balloon and the moon. As delightful as a balloon--but with more weight. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

One day a red dot appears, and it becomes Bear's friend. This floating red dot is tied to a string, and it walks when Bear walks and dances when he dances and keeps him quiet company while he eats and stargazes and climbs trees for honey. But when Bear tries to hug his new friend, it pops, and nothing can fix it. Bad, bad bear. That night, however, the gentle moon shines down on the heartbroken bear and lets him know that he is, in fact, good and kind after all. Tonally, the language fluctuates rather confusingly between sophisticated, poetic sentences and simplistic, one-line phrasing; but the messaging is sweet, and the elegance of Chien's artwork elevates the story to a steady place of beauty. Her soft, inviting illustrations--using what appears to be a mixture of colored pencil, watercolor, and occasional collage--present the reader with beautifully saturated skyscapes, creative and complex depictions of stillness and movement, and an adorably emotive bear cub. This is a bedtime book to snuggle into.