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THE HIDE-AND-SCARE BEAR by Ivan Bates

THE HIDE-AND-SCARE BEAR

by Ivan Bates ; illustrated by Ivan Bates

Pub Date: March 22nd, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-8181-4
Publisher: Candlewick

A rambunctious bear thinks it is fun to scare all the other animals.

Bear has horrible manners. None of the other woodland creatures want to be around him. He makes a mess when he eats, he is terribly rude, and worst of all, his favorite game is the aptly named Hide and Scare. "He would creep up on others / and count up to three... // then jump out with a ROAR! / from behind a tall tree." The forest animals can't take it anymore. Someone needs to stand up to Bear. But who? A tiny, white rabbit hops forward and proposes kindness instead of anger. "Maybe this bear's / not as bad as you say. / He's just never been shown / the kind way to play." After a lecture and a page turn (and with Rabbit's paws cuddled around Bear's nose), Bear suddenly becomes someone who would rather hug than scare. It’s a quick resolution with not much motivation for change, but hopefully it may be a conversation starter on how to negotiate play situations with a youngster who is having difficulty. The anapestic meter holds up in most places and makes for a jaunty read, although the typesetting does not always guide readers through the verse as helpfully as it should.

Though a bit pat, the book addresses an important social skill for the very young.

(Picture book. 3-6)