Merry Christmas: Big Hungry Bear!

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Husband and wife team Don and Audrey Wood follow up on their international bestseller The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear with a yuletide message about giving.

The little Mouse has holed up in his cozy home for Christmas, under long, shiny garlands and a gigantic, glowing tree. And what a huge pile of gifts he's got! ("My goodness! What a lot of presents. Are they all for you?") But then he starts to worry about "the big, hungry Bear in the cold, dark cave at the top of the hill" and how he'd do anything to get a hold of Mouse's presents. ("Ohhh, how that Bear loves Christmas presents!") So it's out with the padlock, boards over the door, and tacks all over the floor. Good old Mouse, though, has a last- minute change of heart and realizes that maybe he should be sharing his presents--not locking them up--so he heads off to visit his ursine friend.

The appeal of this series may continue to be a mystery to some grownups, but the fun, repetitive text and playful acrylics will likely win over any kid--even if we never get to see that big, hungry Bear at all. (Baby to preschool) --Paul Hughes


From Publishers Weekly
This holiday sequel to The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear juxtaposes its very simple language with expressive, comically exaggerated paintings. As little Mouse sets up his tree and the presents beneath, an unseen narrator reminds him about his neighbor, "the big, hungry Bear." In the illustrations, Mouse responds by anxiously setting up padlocks and barricades, fearfully guarding his heap of gifts. But, hearing that the bear never gets any presents, he has a change of heart. The pleasure of this book isn't in novelty or surprise but in the Woods' utterly confident delivery. A solid choice for the very young, with a subtly rendered lesson about sharing. Ages 2-up.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-Presents are piled under Little Mouse's tree, and they're all for him. An unidentified narrator tells him about Hungry Bear, who loves Christmas presents- and never gets any, not even from Santa. At first Little Mouse tries to protect his stash (one humorous spread shows his gifts all chained up and booby-trapped by thumbtacks), but then he begins to feel sorry for the ursine fellow. He gathers together most of his loot, puts on his Santa suit, and bravely makes his way to Bear's den, where he delivers the gifts and starts to decorate the tree. But, will Little Mouse pay for his generous impulse when Bear wakes up? Fans of The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear (Turtleback, 1984) will love this funny, exciting, and satisfying tale that celebrates generosity and the importance of making friends. The colorful spreads feel as familiar and cozy as fuzzy slippers, and project beautifully for sharing in a storytime.-M. A.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Booklist, 2002
"Perfect for holiday story hour, this could easily become a perennial favorite."


Book Description
Painted in acrylics using the same technique and the same paper as the bestseller THE LITTLE MOUSE, THE RED RIPE STRAWBERRY AND THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR, this delightful picture book brings back the same beloved characters, the timid Little Mouse and the mysterious unseen Big Hungry Bear, and ends with a wonderful Christmas surprise--the promise of a new friendship between a tiny mouse and a big bear who doesn't seem quite so scary after all.



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The little mouse who didn￯﾿ﾽt want to share in The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear (1984) returns to celebrate Christmas in this delightful sequel from Audrey Wood and Don Wood. They again use the same inventive format of the first-person narrative voice speaking directly to the mouse character, who gazes out boldly at the reader and adjusts his expressions and behavior in an interactive way that draws the reader into the story. At first, Mouse doesn￯﾿ﾽt want to share any of his stacks of Christmas gifts when reminded of big, hungry Bear who also loves Christmas presents. Several double-paged spreads on the oversized pages show Mouse barring the door, setting tacks around the tree, and chaining the presents together. Comments from the narrative voice cause Mouse to feel empathy for Bear, who is never seen but is presented as terrifying but sad because he never receives any presents of his own. Mouse bravely takes a load of presents to leave for Bear, decorates the Bear￯﾿ﾽs tree to the strains of "Quick little Mouse. Someone big is waking up. . . ." and in return, receives a huge, wrapped box, leaving it to the reader to speculate what might be inside. Mouse exemplifies the lightning-fast mood changes of a young child, looking straight out at his audience and showing pride, fear, greed, obstinacy, empathy, and awe in turn on his amazingly expressive face. Sharing with others, even when it￯﾿ﾽs hard, is truly an important lesson, and Mouse￯﾿ﾽs small heart grows three sizes in this touching tale. (Picture book. 2-7)


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