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No Bears
Ruby is in charge of this book. And she’ll tell you something right now. There are NO BEARS in it. Not even one.
Ruby wants to tell you a story. A story with absolutely no bears. You don’t need bears for a book. You need pretty things like fairies and princesses and castles. And maybe funny things and exciting things – but definitely no bears!
Ruby wants to tell you a story. A story with absolutely no bears. You don’t need bears for a book. You need pretty things like fairies and princesses and castles. And maybe funny things and exciting things – but definitely no bears!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2011
5 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Meg McKinlay
25 books68 followersMeg McKinlay is a children's writer and poet living in Fremantle, Western Australia.
She has published twenty-five books for young people, ranging from picture books through to young adult novels, and a collection of poetry for adults. Her work has won awards including the Prime Minister's Literary Award, the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award, and the WA Premier's Book Award, among others.
A former academic, swimming teacher, Japanese interpreter and tour guide, Meg has accidentally lived her life in accordance with the song lyrics, "If you see a strange door to your left/then drop your things and run for it"*, which is how she found herself wrangling words for a living. Meg has no plans to drop writing, though, and is always cooking up more books.
* From 'Wildflowers', by Things of Stone and Wood
She has published twenty-five books for young people, ranging from picture books through to young adult novels, and a collection of poetry for adults. Her work has won awards including the Prime Minister's Literary Award, the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award, and the WA Premier's Book Award, among others.
A former academic, swimming teacher, Japanese interpreter and tour guide, Meg has accidentally lived her life in accordance with the song lyrics, "If you see a strange door to your left/then drop your things and run for it"*, which is how she found herself wrangling words for a living. Meg has no plans to drop writing, though, and is always cooking up more books.
* From 'Wildflowers', by Things of Stone and Wood
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
August 17, 2012
Ella is writing this book, and she makes it perfectly clear that no bears are allowed in this story. Bear books are abundant, it's true, and Ella is sick of 'em. So her story is one of princesses, castles, monsters, and adventures, and no bears, thank you very much. So she tells a very nice traditionally fairy-ful tale, blissfully oblivious to one bear's vital role in her plot.
The only reason I didn't love this book was because I didn't understand why a bear would help with the "construction" of the story after being chastised by this little anti-bear storyteller. Also, the illustrations, while playful and stylish, permit little emotions from the characters, which would have helped me deduce the secondary wordless plot more easily.
The only reason I didn't love this book was because I didn't understand why a bear would help with the "construction" of the story after being chastised by this little anti-bear storyteller. Also, the illustrations, while playful and stylish, permit little emotions from the characters, which would have helped me deduce the secondary wordless plot more easily.
September 13, 2012
Here is an Australian author/illustrator who is akin to Lauren Child, one of my favorite book creators. What a cute story with an additional story through the illustrations… like Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathman. A little girl share how she is creating a story which has absolutely no bears in it since she’s totally sick of seeing bears in stories… and in the background there is a bear helping, rescuing, and interacting in the background on every page. What a hilarious book this was—and I enjoyed how it connected with fairy tales as well to make it slightly a fractured fairy tale too!
August 1, 2017
Check out more picture book reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
Ruby has decided to craft her own story since she is tired of all the books about bears. It needs to be a story with funny things, exciting things and maybe even a giant but no bears, not one! As the book progresses the illustrations show us that there is a reason there are so many books about bears... they are rather helpful creatures in a pinch!
The illustrations in this book were charming and my nephew and I absolutely fell for them. I loved the very unique and particular style to the art that used a lot of patterns for backgrounds and clothes. My nephew knew right off which spread he wanted to draw... we had both been captivated by this monster who suddenly was huge!
It was easy for us to zip through the book as the words are equally as charming. There were a plethora of words but none so hard that my nephew struggled through the book, so it was fun while also helping to hone his reading skills. Once we got to the end we became suspicious when princess Ruby declared that the fairy godmother had saved her from the monster! So we went back through the book and realized that it was really the smart, unsuspecting bear that did the saving!!
We LOVED this turn of events!! We were both puzzled WHY the bear helped Ruby but we loved that she did and no one realized! The message of this book is quite special in that it is about unsung heroes and teaching children that just because you have a prejudice about a group of people doesn't mean they deserve that criticism. It's NOT a preachy message either but one that will be ingrained by repeatedly reading this book. I really enjoyed the fact that no one stepped forward and gave praise to the bear. That is how it is sometimes, we don't always get glory for doing the right thing.
I loved the book within a book nature of the story and how the illustrations have to be interpreted developing critical thinking. This dual story that is told through the illustrations was well executed and will make for many fun re-reading! There are MANY conversations in this book between parent and child!! As well as the undercurrent of Rudy creating this story and wanting to be a story teller, author and artist herself!
I was originally going to give this 4 stars but by the end of my review I realize I had answered all of my questions with a little thought... now that is the beauty of a well written and illustrated picture book!!
BOTTOM LINE: Teach your child to let go of prejudice!
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my picture book reviews in a special feature called Boo's Picture Gallery...
Ruby has decided to craft her own story since she is tired of all the books about bears. It needs to be a story with funny things, exciting things and maybe even a giant but no bears, not one! As the book progresses the illustrations show us that there is a reason there are so many books about bears... they are rather helpful creatures in a pinch!
The illustrations in this book were charming and my nephew and I absolutely fell for them. I loved the very unique and particular style to the art that used a lot of patterns for backgrounds and clothes. My nephew knew right off which spread he wanted to draw... we had both been captivated by this monster who suddenly was huge!
It was easy for us to zip through the book as the words are equally as charming. There were a plethora of words but none so hard that my nephew struggled through the book, so it was fun while also helping to hone his reading skills. Once we got to the end we became suspicious when princess Ruby declared that the fairy godmother had saved her from the monster! So we went back through the book and realized that it was really the smart, unsuspecting bear that did the saving!!
We LOVED this turn of events!! We were both puzzled WHY the bear helped Ruby but we loved that she did and no one realized! The message of this book is quite special in that it is about unsung heroes and teaching children that just because you have a prejudice about a group of people doesn't mean they deserve that criticism. It's NOT a preachy message either but one that will be ingrained by repeatedly reading this book. I really enjoyed the fact that no one stepped forward and gave praise to the bear. That is how it is sometimes, we don't always get glory for doing the right thing.
I loved the book within a book nature of the story and how the illustrations have to be interpreted developing critical thinking. This dual story that is told through the illustrations was well executed and will make for many fun re-reading! There are MANY conversations in this book between parent and child!! As well as the undercurrent of Rudy creating this story and wanting to be a story teller, author and artist herself!
I was originally going to give this 4 stars but by the end of my review I realize I had answered all of my questions with a little thought... now that is the beauty of a well written and illustrated picture book!!
BOTTOM LINE: Teach your child to let go of prejudice!
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my picture book reviews in a special feature called Boo's Picture Gallery...
April 16, 2013
With subtle, warm illustrations, this book is pretty much what the title suggests: a story with no bears in it—except to mention that there are no bears. It is not clear why Ruby has an aversion to bears, but she does, in stories at least. The best part of her story (which has a childish simplicity, is totally unbelievable and not at all intended to be) is the illustrations which are intricate and patterned, with lots of little details to spot and admire.
May 13, 2025
2.5-2.75 stars
It was fine. It’s supposed to be a joke how the girl never realized the bear was a huge help to her but I didn’t really like it. I know they say “do things for your own good feeling not recognition” but the bear deserved recognition and an apology from the main character. The kids I read it too didn’t like it either so I don’t feel too bad rating it low instead of the 3 I was going to give.
It was fine. It’s supposed to be a joke how the girl never realized the bear was a huge help to her but I didn’t really like it. I know they say “do things for your own good feeling not recognition” but the bear deserved recognition and an apology from the main character. The kids I read it too didn’t like it either so I don’t feel too bad rating it low instead of the 3 I was going to give.
March 13, 2012
A clever young girl decides to write a story without bears in it. Metafiction for the younger set with allusions to classic fairy tales on every page.
August 28, 2018
The story itself was rather cute, but I didn't care for Ruby's narration or attitude at times.
January 28, 2022
I felt this book was very unique from any other picture book I have read before. I think it was a pretty good book, but also felt like it used too much energy bouncing back and forth from the story to the concept of no bears. The author did a good job of using word play that changed the tempo of the story as the anticipation built. For a book about No Bears, it raises a lot of extra thinking about why the author does not care or want bears to be a part of her story. Yet also raises questions about who really saved the princess. It appears as if their bear was the savior even though the bears role was outside of the narrators book. This book did a good job of incorporating the idea of postmodern. Postmodern uses metafiction devices such as non-linearity, multiple narratives, indeterminacy, and more. Which can all be found within the literature of No Bears. We see the princess run the narrator role of the book while also being a character within it. Bouncing back and forth from being the princess and leading the story. We see multiple narratives between the narrator and the princess, along with indeterminacy by leaving uncertainty and the ability to add your own bits and pieces to the story.
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January 29, 2022No Bears is a perfect example of a postmodern book. McKinlay uses many examples of postmodernism to keep the readers turning pages. Although Ella wants no bears in her book, the constant appearance of a curious bear looking into the book creates the most prominent postmodern feature. Other postmodern features such as the appearance of a character who looks like Little Read Riding Hood and Ella breaking the third wall by speaking directly to the readers can also be found in No Bears. This book includes many other postmodern features such as characters coming out of Ella’s book to great the bear, making No Bears the perfect postmodern addition for any classroom.
January 29, 2022
This is the first postmodern book I have ever read. The topic is very "postmodern" that they use the second person version to write the book. And the "no bear" thing is fresh to me although the book still tells the story that the princess saved by her own power, still a little bit boring for the content. The pattern of the book is very "postmodern", that they break the boundary of the two-dimension and three-dimension. You see the little girl (as the reader) appears in the book as the background voice as well, which is the most interesting thing I found in the postmodern book. You could have interaction with them!
May 26, 2024
Loved this book! So many elements to look at and talk about! Definitely using this in lessons with my students in the coming school year!
January 30, 2015
No bear was written in a self text form The little girl knows she is in a book as a narrator/character addressing the reader. It has intrusions of a time and story. This book is very upbeat and thrilled book. Throughout the book it was very happy and full of joy and kinda of funny the little girl seemed to be funny but have something against bears because she didn't want them in the book she is in and that is what makes it very odd from other books because she wants to have control over her own book it is something different from what I have ever read. Then when she sees a bear she calls it a monster which is mean in her part and I did not like that part of the book. The book had playfulness experiment with words, and the language was full of art. The illustrations throughout the story were going at describing the story as the text was, the images had no confusion. The layout of the design would be not read top/bottom, left to right. This book was really unique because Ruby wants to tell a great story about wonderful things. She is determined to exclude bears at all costs. She’s sick and tired of tales containing bears and not having the fairy tells books should have instead of bears.
The illustrations complements Ruby’s tale to perfection. It is the funny side of the story that will draw No Bears from the book shelf on repeated bedtimes. This is a good and funny book to read to children from age 3+ I liked this book so I had to read it to my little sister which she enjoyed as well. The text was at her grade level so she was able to read it and understand it. One of the contrasts that I notice was that that the organization and illustrations went hand in hand really good and added up really good to help out bring out Ruby's (the little girl) thoughts out. One of the interesting notes in the peritext is when Ruby (creates a beautiful princess living in a faraway castle with her parents.) It was really cute because she thought about her parents too.
This book was personally a good appealing book that got my attention right away. It was funny and the story was really cute and goofy. It is one of the books I want to buy and keep and read to my classes once I get my degree in teaching. The text is really good and interesting.
The illustrations complements Ruby’s tale to perfection. It is the funny side of the story that will draw No Bears from the book shelf on repeated bedtimes. This is a good and funny book to read to children from age 3+ I liked this book so I had to read it to my little sister which she enjoyed as well. The text was at her grade level so she was able to read it and understand it. One of the contrasts that I notice was that that the organization and illustrations went hand in hand really good and added up really good to help out bring out Ruby's (the little girl) thoughts out. One of the interesting notes in the peritext is when Ruby (creates a beautiful princess living in a faraway castle with her parents.) It was really cute because she thought about her parents too.
This book was personally a good appealing book that got my attention right away. It was funny and the story was really cute and goofy. It is one of the books I want to buy and keep and read to my classes once I get my degree in teaching. The text is really good and interesting.
September 28, 2018
If there’s one thing you take away from reading Ruby’s story it should be this; bears do NOT need to be in books-EVER! She is not only the narrator of her own bear-less book, but becomes a character, as well. She incorporates the classic fairy tale characters, such as the fairy godmother, princesses, monsters, witches, giants, the three little pigs, and even rapunzel! She takes us through her adventure-filled story, complete with bears (don’t tell Ruby!) I was immediately drawn to the way the illustrator was able to subtly incorporate bears into the drawings, giving them a large piece in the plot without the readers even knowing it. It definitely takes several reads to capture all the subtle elements, such as the bear taking the fairy godmother’s wand on page 5, and using it throughout the rest of the story to help Ruby on her journey, all without Ruby realizing. This irony might be lost on the younger audiences, but it made me want to re-read and re-read!
This book will hopefully inspire it’s young readers to create their own story as Ruby did, and become engrossed in an imaginary world. After learning about intertextuality in class, it is evident this book utilizes the device very well. Ruby includes many famous fairytale characters as characters in her own story, such as the wolf and Little Red Riding Hood on page 5, and Rapunzel up in the tower on page 7. These uses of stories in stories can aid children in noticing familiar characters, and inspiring them to follow in Ruby’s footsteps.
Lastly, the use of metafictive elements was unlike any children’s picture book I have ever seen. Ruby is a narrator, and character, who directly addresses the audience starting on the very first page (“Hi, I’m Ruby and this is my book.”) She is also aware that she is telling a story, and does NOT hesitate to tell us how much she hates stories with bears (“Everytime you read a book it’s just “BEARS BEARS BEARS”). McKinlay also plays with the style of font throughout, changing between the classic fairytale cursive font, and what looks to be Ruby’s handwriting, making it even more clear just how involved Ruby is in the story.
I can’t wait to recommend this story to my future students, and see how the whimsy, playful story inspires them in their own creations!
This book will hopefully inspire it’s young readers to create their own story as Ruby did, and become engrossed in an imaginary world. After learning about intertextuality in class, it is evident this book utilizes the device very well. Ruby includes many famous fairytale characters as characters in her own story, such as the wolf and Little Red Riding Hood on page 5, and Rapunzel up in the tower on page 7. These uses of stories in stories can aid children in noticing familiar characters, and inspiring them to follow in Ruby’s footsteps.
Lastly, the use of metafictive elements was unlike any children’s picture book I have ever seen. Ruby is a narrator, and character, who directly addresses the audience starting on the very first page (“Hi, I’m Ruby and this is my book.”) She is also aware that she is telling a story, and does NOT hesitate to tell us how much she hates stories with bears (“Everytime you read a book it’s just “BEARS BEARS BEARS”). McKinlay also plays with the style of font throughout, changing between the classic fairytale cursive font, and what looks to be Ruby’s handwriting, making it even more clear just how involved Ruby is in the story.
I can’t wait to recommend this story to my future students, and see how the whimsy, playful story inspires them in their own creations!
September 20, 2018
This book is about a little girl named Ruby who is sick and tiered of reading books about bears. Ruby takes it upon herself to write a book of her own with strictly no bears. Ruby takes you through her book which is filled with princesses, monsters, fairies and maybe just one bear... The monster in Ruby's story is running through various fairy tales such the Gingerbread Man, Rapunzel, the Three Little Pigs, and Little Red Riding Hood. Throughout the story there are various characters from different fairy tales.
When I saw the cover of this book I figured the story would be very cute and I thought the title was interesting. This is a story filled with irony on every page which is fun for adults as well as children. I think this story is a great read for both parents and children as it can encourage kids to create their own stories just as Ruby did. The pages are filled with many, very detailed, illustrations which may be difficult for small children to catch every detail of the story, but parents can encourage them to go back and take a closer look at each page. No Bears is definitely a fantasy book and will take readers on an adventure in Ruby's world.
Intertexuality is a literary element that is used throughout the book. On almost every page there is a different fairy tale being utilized in Ruby's story. The best example of this is on page seven where many different fairy tale characters make up the village the monster is ravaging in the story. The author uses intertexuality because many of the stories used in this book are ones children, like Ruby, would be familiar with. Ruby is created her own story based off of previously written fairy tales she has heard. Another literary element in No Bears is personification. Throughout each page the one bear that is featured in this book is helping or reacting to Ruby's story in someway. On page eight the bear looks concerned about Ruby when the monster has her in his hands. On page seven the bear is pictured tying the monster's leg, which a few pages later causes him to fall.
When I saw the cover of this book I figured the story would be very cute and I thought the title was interesting. This is a story filled with irony on every page which is fun for adults as well as children. I think this story is a great read for both parents and children as it can encourage kids to create their own stories just as Ruby did. The pages are filled with many, very detailed, illustrations which may be difficult for small children to catch every detail of the story, but parents can encourage them to go back and take a closer look at each page. No Bears is definitely a fantasy book and will take readers on an adventure in Ruby's world.
Intertexuality is a literary element that is used throughout the book. On almost every page there is a different fairy tale being utilized in Ruby's story. The best example of this is on page seven where many different fairy tale characters make up the village the monster is ravaging in the story. The author uses intertexuality because many of the stories used in this book are ones children, like Ruby, would be familiar with. Ruby is created her own story based off of previously written fairy tales she has heard. Another literary element in No Bears is personification. Throughout each page the one bear that is featured in this book is helping or reacting to Ruby's story in someway. On page eight the bear looks concerned about Ruby when the monster has her in his hands. On page seven the bear is pictured tying the monster's leg, which a few pages later causes him to fall.
April 5, 2012
Richie’s Picks: NO BEARS by Meg McKinlay and Leila Rudge, ill., Candlewick, March 2012, 32p., ISBN: 978-0-7636-5890-8
“Hi! I’m Ella and this is my book.
You can tell it’s a book because there are words like Once upon a time
and Happily ever after
and The END.
I’m in charge of this book, so I know everything about it --
including the most important thing, which is that there are NO BEARS in it.”
I cannot remember his name, but as I read NO BEARS to myself, I am so clearly hearing in my head the loud voice of a nasally three year-old boy who was my preschool student two decades ago:
“BUT THERE’S A BEAR RIGHT THERE!!!”
I can just imagine him suddenly standing up in circle, and pointing accusingly at the book to make sure that all the kids see what the little girl narrator of the story (Ella) is obviously missing.
“I’m tired of bears. Every time you read a book, it’s just BEARS BEARS BEARS -- horrible furry bears slurping honey in awful little caves.
You don’t need BEARS for a book.”
Yes, they are going to get such a kick out of this one -- a book-within-a-book story that is filled full of no bears.
“You need pretty things.
You need fairies and princesses
and castles.
You need funny things,
exciting things,
and scary things--
maybe a monster
or a giant or something.”
In addition to no bears, we find visual allusions to a variety of tales young audiences will all know, such as Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Little Pigs, and The Owl and the Pussycat.
NO BEARS is a very fun read and a visual delight. (And in addition to it’s being filled with no bears, keep a watch for who is peeking out from behind the barcode on the back of the book’s dust jacket.)
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_...
http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
“Hi! I’m Ella and this is my book.
You can tell it’s a book because there are words like Once upon a time
and Happily ever after
and The END.
I’m in charge of this book, so I know everything about it --
including the most important thing, which is that there are NO BEARS in it.”
I cannot remember his name, but as I read NO BEARS to myself, I am so clearly hearing in my head the loud voice of a nasally three year-old boy who was my preschool student two decades ago:
“BUT THERE’S A BEAR RIGHT THERE!!!”
I can just imagine him suddenly standing up in circle, and pointing accusingly at the book to make sure that all the kids see what the little girl narrator of the story (Ella) is obviously missing.
“I’m tired of bears. Every time you read a book, it’s just BEARS BEARS BEARS -- horrible furry bears slurping honey in awful little caves.
You don’t need BEARS for a book.”
Yes, they are going to get such a kick out of this one -- a book-within-a-book story that is filled full of no bears.
“You need pretty things.
You need fairies and princesses
and castles.
You need funny things,
exciting things,
and scary things--
maybe a monster
or a giant or something.”
In addition to no bears, we find visual allusions to a variety of tales young audiences will all know, such as Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Little Pigs, and The Owl and the Pussycat.
NO BEARS is a very fun read and a visual delight. (And in addition to it’s being filled with no bears, keep a watch for who is peeking out from behind the barcode on the back of the book’s dust jacket.)
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_...
http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
January 29, 2015
This book is about a girl who hates when bears are in books. She decides that since she is in charge of this book, there will be no bears allowed in her story. She explains all of the things that should be in a story, for example, princesses and fairies. However, she thinks bears should not be in books so she says that bears will not be in her book.
It is ironic that Ruby does not like when bears are in stories because the bears appear on almost every page of her story. She begins the book by telling us that bears are in too many books and so she will not have them in her book. However, she spends the first few pages talking about bears. In addition, the bears also appear in almost every page of the illustrations. On one page, the bears are even trying to sneak back into the book. It is ironic that the book is titled, No Bears, but bears are in the entire story.
This book connects Rudy to the pictures accurately. The book is told from a little girl’s point of view and the pictures portray that accurately. The illustrations appear to be from a child’s perspective and that grabbed my attention because it connected me to the book even more. In addition, the character appeared to also be jumping in and out of the story. I think this book allows the reader to develop a personal connection to the main character.
Rudy began the book by addressing the fact that she is in charge of the book. She seems to be speaking to the reader, which is different from many of the books I have read. I think that this style of writing engages the reader more because they become a part of the story. The character seems to be speaking to the readers instead of just telling a story. I think this type of book would be good for children to read individually because they would have the chance to become engaged with the story.
It is ironic that Ruby does not like when bears are in stories because the bears appear on almost every page of her story. She begins the book by telling us that bears are in too many books and so she will not have them in her book. However, she spends the first few pages talking about bears. In addition, the bears also appear in almost every page of the illustrations. On one page, the bears are even trying to sneak back into the book. It is ironic that the book is titled, No Bears, but bears are in the entire story.
This book connects Rudy to the pictures accurately. The book is told from a little girl’s point of view and the pictures portray that accurately. The illustrations appear to be from a child’s perspective and that grabbed my attention because it connected me to the book even more. In addition, the character appeared to also be jumping in and out of the story. I think this book allows the reader to develop a personal connection to the main character.
Rudy began the book by addressing the fact that she is in charge of the book. She seems to be speaking to the reader, which is different from many of the books I have read. I think that this style of writing engages the reader more because they become a part of the story. The character seems to be speaking to the readers instead of just telling a story. I think this type of book would be good for children to read individually because they would have the chance to become engaged with the story.
September 24, 2014
In the beginning of this story the narrator comes out saying that their will be no bears in this book. She states that every story has bears and she does not want any in this book. She insists that their will only be princesses, fairies, trolls and even monsters but no bears! The story then starts off with a princess just strolling along. In each scene you can see the bear outside of the actual scene but the narrator still insists their are no bears. Suddenly she gets captured by a monster who is going to eat her but guess who saves her? A bear! When she is saved their is a huge party thrown for her escaping the monster with her magical powers. In the end the narrator still insists that their were no bears and everyone lived happily ever after.
This was one of my favorite children books that I have ever read. I really enjoyed the humor that the author used. I thought it was not only funny for kids but also funny for adults. I thought that the plot of the story was very clever and I liked the way the author crafted the text. The text was smooth and easy to follow along with, not choppy at all. Each scene flowed together which I liked.
Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the way the author drew the illustrations. Around each scene the illustrator drew a box like he was boxing the bear out. So the bear wasn't technically in the scene but it was still present for the readers to see. The author and illustrator had to of communicated because the illustrator wouldn't of known to draw the bear like that in each scene if they didn't. I also liked how the illustrator sometimes only put a limb of the bear into the scene, like when the bear saved the princess. It left room for some curiosity.
This was one of my favorite children books that I have ever read. I really enjoyed the humor that the author used. I thought it was not only funny for kids but also funny for adults. I thought that the plot of the story was very clever and I liked the way the author crafted the text. The text was smooth and easy to follow along with, not choppy at all. Each scene flowed together which I liked.
Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the way the author drew the illustrations. Around each scene the illustrator drew a box like he was boxing the bear out. So the bear wasn't technically in the scene but it was still present for the readers to see. The author and illustrator had to of communicated because the illustrator wouldn't of known to draw the bear like that in each scene if they didn't. I also liked how the illustrator sometimes only put a limb of the bear into the scene, like when the bear saved the princess. It left room for some curiosity.
September 30, 2014
In the story No Bears, it follows a young girl telling her own story. She refuses to have bears in her story because she says bears ruin stories. As she goes about telling her story and incorporating fairy tales and being humorous in the background of the illustrations there is always a bear. The narrator that we follow along in the book never notices that there is a bear in the back of all her pictures and at the end thinks it was the best story because there was No Bears.
I thought that the illustrations went very well with the text. The narrator is making the story up as she goes along and you can follow that in the illustrations. Also the illustrations follow exactly what she is imagining and saying. While reading it almost feels like you are following her along through her thoughts, because the illustrations look like her thoughts drawn out.
This book is very humorous. It is easy in my opinion to keep a child intrigued by the humor and the fact that she wanted no nears in her story yet there is a bear on every single page. I know myself reading along when I would turn the page the first thing I would look for on the next page is where the bear was.
The story line of the book I feel also keeps the child interested. Not only is it funny but it is very imaginative and doesn't haven't a dull moment. I feel that this book is very relatable to children because the narrator is talking to you. The child is able to interact with the book and feel apart of it. I think this a good book to read to young children just for fun. Because it is funny, colorful and creative kids will relate and really be intrigued to the book.
I thought that the illustrations went very well with the text. The narrator is making the story up as she goes along and you can follow that in the illustrations. Also the illustrations follow exactly what she is imagining and saying. While reading it almost feels like you are following her along through her thoughts, because the illustrations look like her thoughts drawn out.
This book is very humorous. It is easy in my opinion to keep a child intrigued by the humor and the fact that she wanted no nears in her story yet there is a bear on every single page. I know myself reading along when I would turn the page the first thing I would look for on the next page is where the bear was.
The story line of the book I feel also keeps the child interested. Not only is it funny but it is very imaginative and doesn't haven't a dull moment. I feel that this book is very relatable to children because the narrator is talking to you. The child is able to interact with the book and feel apart of it. I think this a good book to read to young children just for fun. Because it is funny, colorful and creative kids will relate and really be intrigued to the book.
September 23, 2014
Ella is telling us a story; a story the does not include bears. The story she tells is a bit random: there are nooo bears in the woods, in any kingdoms, or in the story at all for that matter. Ella feels a good story relies on the presence of princesses and fairies and all that magical stuff. When the monsters steals away the young princess, the fairy god mother is needed to save her. In the end, the royal family and the princess all live happily ever after, without any bears.
I love how the author really had the little girl stress the fact that there are NO bears allowed in the story. I mainly enjoyed it because it really did not make any sense and did not pertain to the storyline what so ever. The innocence in it lies within the girl telling the story; she is very adamant and this makes her funny. I thought it was also funny that the book was really a story within a story. The inner being the story told by the girl and the outer being the girl telling the story, with the help of a bear (IRONY)!
This story was really cute and I feel kids could totally relate to it. Being that it is narrated by a child and she is quite humorous in her desire to leave the bears out of the story, children may feel like this book is coming straight out of their own imagination. The illustrations are inviting and I feel this give kids their first dose of simplistic irony. This could also be a fun way to get your class to create their own story. They can see by observing the book that Ella is telling her own tale. You could have students do the same!
I love how the author really had the little girl stress the fact that there are NO bears allowed in the story. I mainly enjoyed it because it really did not make any sense and did not pertain to the storyline what so ever. The innocence in it lies within the girl telling the story; she is very adamant and this makes her funny. I thought it was also funny that the book was really a story within a story. The inner being the story told by the girl and the outer being the girl telling the story, with the help of a bear (IRONY)!
This story was really cute and I feel kids could totally relate to it. Being that it is narrated by a child and she is quite humorous in her desire to leave the bears out of the story, children may feel like this book is coming straight out of their own imagination. The illustrations are inviting and I feel this give kids their first dose of simplistic irony. This could also be a fun way to get your class to create their own story. They can see by observing the book that Ella is telling her own tale. You could have students do the same!
October 13, 2014
No Bears by Meg McKinlay is a story about a young girl who hates that bears are included in every story she reads so she decides to write a story of her own. She is super girly and talks about all the different fairy tales but always includes how there are no bears in the story and there never will be. In the beginning she mentions that she knows all great books include things like "once upon a time", "happily ever after", and "the end" so she includes them in her story as well.
My favorite thing about this book is how silly it is. She goes on and on about how her book will have no bears in it but bears are mentioned on every single page because of it! It is totally from the mind of a child and I love that about this book. It is a twist on your average girly children's book but it doesn't stray far enough away to make it unappealing to younger girls. I think its a very creative way to show that kids can be creative and write books and is a great lesson in teaching that when you're the author you have permission to write whatever you want, within reason of course!
The second thing i would like to touch on is the way "once upon a time", "happily ever after", and "the end" are written. They appeal much more to the illustrations rather than the text. I think that this was done to highlight the majorly important things in a fairy tale so that this book would still completely appeal to younger girls. the title may be misleading but this is a very sweet childrens book.
My favorite thing about this book is how silly it is. She goes on and on about how her book will have no bears in it but bears are mentioned on every single page because of it! It is totally from the mind of a child and I love that about this book. It is a twist on your average girly children's book but it doesn't stray far enough away to make it unappealing to younger girls. I think its a very creative way to show that kids can be creative and write books and is a great lesson in teaching that when you're the author you have permission to write whatever you want, within reason of course!
The second thing i would like to touch on is the way "once upon a time", "happily ever after", and "the end" are written. They appeal much more to the illustrations rather than the text. I think that this was done to highlight the majorly important things in a fairy tale so that this book would still completely appeal to younger girls. the title may be misleading but this is a very sweet childrens book.
February 2, 2015
No Bears is the funny story of a little girl named Ruby who decides she wants to write her own story with absolutely no bears. Because bears always ruin a story. Her story has princesses and a monster and a happy ending, but no bears. Except for the one bear who is sneaking through the story. Unseen, the bear actually helps the story come together and takes the place of the fairy godmother, who seems to have sat this fairy tale out.
I thought that this was a very fun and innovative story. The story within a story is made more enjoyable by the sneaky bear that everyone but Ruby sees. This gives the reader the feeling that they're in on a joke with the rest of the characters of the story, something that helps make the story even more enjoyable for the audience. I can imagine this story being read to a group of kids that point at the bear the entire time and giggle at the fact that the author isn't paying attention to the obvious bear in her story.
Another thing that I enjoyed about this story was the use of different fonts and the way the way Ruby's story was presented within the book. It made the book feel like something that a child would make and write, but it still had characters that literally jumped off the page. The font use was also used strategically as it showed what part of the story we were reading. I thought that was clever as it could help a child keep track that something different was happening every time the font in the story changed.
I thought that this was a very fun and innovative story. The story within a story is made more enjoyable by the sneaky bear that everyone but Ruby sees. This gives the reader the feeling that they're in on a joke with the rest of the characters of the story, something that helps make the story even more enjoyable for the audience. I can imagine this story being read to a group of kids that point at the bear the entire time and giggle at the fact that the author isn't paying attention to the obvious bear in her story.
Another thing that I enjoyed about this story was the use of different fonts and the way the way Ruby's story was presented within the book. It made the book feel like something that a child would make and write, but it still had characters that literally jumped off the page. The font use was also used strategically as it showed what part of the story we were reading. I thought that was clever as it could help a child keep track that something different was happening every time the font in the story changed.
February 19, 2015
NO bears is a unique book which is about a young girl writing her book in which no bears are allowed. She writes about a girl becoming a princess who has to be saved from a monster, all the wile a bear is assisting in her book as a hero although she does not know it.
The book is very unique because it breaks the fourth wall, allowing the character to speak directly to the readers, allowing her to explain why there will be no bears in her book. The significance of her being able to speak to the reader's emphasizes the reader's feelings of wanting to let her know that the only reason her book is succeeding is because a bear is assisting her with the book. This perspective of her speaking directly to us allows the illustrator to place the bear in the book assisting with the book without the character knowing because this character is not an all knowing speaker such as a narrator.
The illustrations are telling a subtext of the book by placing the bear in there. Although the bear does not speak, we are able to see his expression to the no bears rule as well as his efforts to help her as comical because he is trying so hard and she does not know. In one illustrations, the character's within her book are pointing to the bear trying to show her that there is in fact a bear, but being characters in her book, they cannot speak without her narration, and that requires her to know he is there.
The book is very unique because it breaks the fourth wall, allowing the character to speak directly to the readers, allowing her to explain why there will be no bears in her book. The significance of her being able to speak to the reader's emphasizes the reader's feelings of wanting to let her know that the only reason her book is succeeding is because a bear is assisting her with the book. This perspective of her speaking directly to us allows the illustrator to place the bear in the book assisting with the book without the character knowing because this character is not an all knowing speaker such as a narrator.
The illustrations are telling a subtext of the book by placing the bear in there. Although the bear does not speak, we are able to see his expression to the no bears rule as well as his efforts to help her as comical because he is trying so hard and she does not know. In one illustrations, the character's within her book are pointing to the bear trying to show her that there is in fact a bear, but being characters in her book, they cannot speak without her narration, and that requires her to know he is there.
June 18, 2013
No Bears written by Meg McKinlay and illustrated by Leila Rudge is a fun picturebook in which young Ella declares that she is going to tell her own story. What will make her story the best, is that there will be absolutely no bears in the tale. There will be princesses, funny things, pretty things, magic things, and exciting things, but no bears! The story elements are fun and brightly illustrated, rich in irony as a bear plays some very important parts in the story.
No Bears is a fun story about an imaginative child taking charge of where that imagination takes her. She loves princesses, castles, and all the things that tend to make for a good fairy tale. For some reason, she does not think bears fit in a good story, so wants to leave them out. However, the watercolor illustrations show readers that a bear, much like a parent that makes things happen for their child regardless of whether it is appreciated or even noticed, tends to play an important role in the story. The book is fun, and has something special for readers of all ages.
I highly recommend No Bears to readers of all ages, particularly for those that have active imaginations. The idea of making up your own story, and living it, is something my children are already well versed in. But, this might just insight those a little more timid in engaging their imagination to dust it off and put it to work.
No Bears is a fun story about an imaginative child taking charge of where that imagination takes her. She loves princesses, castles, and all the things that tend to make for a good fairy tale. For some reason, she does not think bears fit in a good story, so wants to leave them out. However, the watercolor illustrations show readers that a bear, much like a parent that makes things happen for their child regardless of whether it is appreciated or even noticed, tends to play an important role in the story. The book is fun, and has something special for readers of all ages.
I highly recommend No Bears to readers of all ages, particularly for those that have active imaginations. The idea of making up your own story, and living it, is something my children are already well versed in. But, this might just insight those a little more timid in engaging their imagination to dust it off and put it to work.
July 11, 2014
Little Ella sets out to write a book full of pretty things, fairytale excitement, and danger. She has one rule, there will be no bears! She emphatically states this over and over. As one might expect though, hanging around the edges, just beyond the reach of the story, is a bear.
Once Ella's prelude is over, she starts to create her story. Her book centers itself within the two page spread, and shares the page gutter of the actual book. From the sidelines the bear observes and even participates, all the while staying hidden from Ella's sight. Up until the end, she proclaims the greatest thing about her book is the lack of bears, funny thing is that he ends up saving the princess, therefore making him an essential asset. An expressionistic and colourful style fits the idea of expressing ones creativity, especially in the context of a fairytale setting. Most of the characters have no mouth, and pinprick eyes, so their thoughts are solely portrayed through body language.
No Bears is actually two stories in one, the first is about a little girl and a bear who meddles with her effort, and the other is the fairytale itself. The fairytale may not be very original, but its incorporation into the encompassing text is. Ironically, it is the bear's presence that makes this book about a book great.
Once Ella's prelude is over, she starts to create her story. Her book centers itself within the two page spread, and shares the page gutter of the actual book. From the sidelines the bear observes and even participates, all the while staying hidden from Ella's sight. Up until the end, she proclaims the greatest thing about her book is the lack of bears, funny thing is that he ends up saving the princess, therefore making him an essential asset. An expressionistic and colourful style fits the idea of expressing ones creativity, especially in the context of a fairytale setting. Most of the characters have no mouth, and pinprick eyes, so their thoughts are solely portrayed through body language.
No Bears is actually two stories in one, the first is about a little girl and a bear who meddles with her effort, and the other is the fairytale itself. The fairytale may not be very original, but its incorporation into the encompassing text is. Ironically, it is the bear's presence that makes this book about a book great.
April 9, 2019
I absolutely adored this story. The little girl was tired of the classic stories with bears and was determined to have a story with no bears. However, in her story the bear served as the hero. It was a very cute story for the early grades (pre-k - 2nd grade). The illustrations were very vivid and bright. I loved how the story was written and how adamant the young lady was about not including bears in her story. She included many elements of fairy-tales such as castles, queens and even the "happily ever after." This was a nice story and I cannot wait to read it to my scholars.
The postmodern picture books elements displayed in this story were non-linear plots, narrators address the readers and indeterminate plot, settings and characters. The narrator of the story was a young girl who talked to the readers throughout the story about her distaste for Bears in her storybooks. The plot twist was that throughout the story the bears were helping her while she continued to discuss her dislike for bears. This was a cute and funny story that I'm certain my kindergarten students would love. I could use this story when introducing fairy-tales, as it did reference stories that students may be familiar with.
The postmodern picture books elements displayed in this story were non-linear plots, narrators address the readers and indeterminate plot, settings and characters. The narrator of the story was a young girl who talked to the readers throughout the story about her distaste for Bears in her storybooks. The plot twist was that throughout the story the bears were helping her while she continued to discuss her dislike for bears. This was a cute and funny story that I'm certain my kindergarten students would love. I could use this story when introducing fairy-tales, as it did reference stories that students may be familiar with.
February 14, 2013
Ella has written her own story, it has pretty things like fairies, princesses, and castles, and it has funny, exciting, and scary things like monsters and giants. Ella’s book has a lot in it, but the most important thing is that there are no bears! Ella is adamant about her no bear policy as she tells her story of faraway lands and a princess needing to be rescued, while all along there is a very nice and helpful bear hiding there next to her book. Readers will enjoy Ella’s story and find it humorous that Ella seems to be the only one oblivious to the fact that there is indeed a bear in her story, and one that ends up playing some very important parts. Her story subtly interjects many recognizable fairy tale figures such as Little Red Riding Hood, The Owl and the Pussycat, Rapunzel, The Wicked Witch, and The Three Little Pigs. Children who are familiar with these characters should find the story even more amusing, but those that are not familiar will nonetheless enjoy the whimsical, delicate illustrations, and comical fairy tale storyline. No Bears is a cute story that will surely make young readers smile.
September 25, 2014
This story is told from the point of view from a princess. She proceeds to tell her story but makes sure to mention that she does not want any bears to be there. They should have absolutely nothing to do with her story. As she continues on, bringing up bears multiple times, she tells the tale of her living in a castle and a monster trying to take her away. Then, she is saved even without the help of any bears!
I absolutely adored this book. I thought the narration was extremely clever and kept me, as an adult reader, entertained and even laughing out loud through the majority of the picture book.
I also really connected with the illustrations. They were very colorful and I enjoyed that the bears were peeking into the story from different spots throughout the book. I feel as though there were a lot of subtle details put in by the illustrator that you had to take the time to observe. I found myself taking a second glance through the book and noticing small details that I had not picked up on right away. Overall, I really loved this book and could easily see myself reading it to my future students.
I absolutely adored this book. I thought the narration was extremely clever and kept me, as an adult reader, entertained and even laughing out loud through the majority of the picture book.
I also really connected with the illustrations. They were very colorful and I enjoyed that the bears were peeking into the story from different spots throughout the book. I feel as though there were a lot of subtle details put in by the illustrator that you had to take the time to observe. I found myself taking a second glance through the book and noticing small details that I had not picked up on right away. Overall, I really loved this book and could easily see myself reading it to my future students.
February 2, 2015
No Bears is a story about a young girl who wants to write her own story that does not include bears because all other books do. She begins to write a fairytale and continually reminds the reader that there are no bears in the story and there never will be. In the end, she realizes that a bear was in her story the entire time.
This book is told from the little girl's perspective as she writes her own fairy tale that does not include bears. However it is entertaining for the reader because in the illustrations we see that a bear is in her book on every page. The illustrator did a great job of sneaking the bear in on each page and as the story progresses, we see the bear including itself in her story little by little. The irony is fun for the audience.
One interesting aspect of this story is the format. Because Ruby is writing her own story, the illustrations make it look like a book within a book. This lines us with the storyline because while Ruby is writing her story that does not include bears, on the outside the reader sees that there is a bear, but it is not inside Ruby's story so she is unaware of it. This was very clever and it was a great way to put the book together.
This book is told from the little girl's perspective as she writes her own fairy tale that does not include bears. However it is entertaining for the reader because in the illustrations we see that a bear is in her book on every page. The illustrator did a great job of sneaking the bear in on each page and as the story progresses, we see the bear including itself in her story little by little. The irony is fun for the audience.
One interesting aspect of this story is the format. Because Ruby is writing her own story, the illustrations make it look like a book within a book. This lines us with the storyline because while Ruby is writing her story that does not include bears, on the outside the reader sees that there is a bear, but it is not inside Ruby's story so she is unaware of it. This was very clever and it was a great way to put the book together.
May 23, 2012
This is Ella’s book and she’s here to tell you that it’s a wonderful book because there are absolutely no bears in it. According to Ella, there are lots of things you need for a really good book: pretty things, scary things, funny things, castles, princesses, a monster, but no bears, not even one. As Ella creates her story, about a princess who is chased by a scary monster, it’s a good thing she doesn’t notice the benevolent bear hiding behind the pages of her book.
The fun element of this book is that the text tells Ella’s story, but the illustrations show quite a different story. The text is written from Ella’s point of view and is conversational, spoken directly to the reader, making it a great read aloud book. Rudge’s illustrations are delicate and whimsical, using a soft palate and lots of fun patterns. The clever illustrations not only tell Ella’s story, but manage to include a host of other fairy tale characters, from Red Riding Hood to Rapunzel.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
The fun element of this book is that the text tells Ella’s story, but the illustrations show quite a different story. The text is written from Ella’s point of view and is conversational, spoken directly to the reader, making it a great read aloud book. Rudge’s illustrations are delicate and whimsical, using a soft palate and lots of fun patterns. The clever illustrations not only tell Ella’s story, but manage to include a host of other fairy tale characters, from Red Riding Hood to Rapunzel.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
July 18, 2013
Ella likes a lot of things about the book she's writing. It contains princesses and fairies and castles and a lot of other elements she considers essential to a story. Best of all, it has NO BEARS. But what Ella doesn't notice is that behind each new page she draws, there's a motherly bear gently helping Ella's nice characters succeed and working to vanquish the evil ones.
The fun premise and beautiful, action-packed illustrations make for an enjoyable read, and new details pop out every time I revisit the story. Many kids will have fun pointing out the bear sneaking onto each page, even as Ella declares, once again, that her book doesn't have any bears at all. The bear is never directly acknowledged, which adds to the fun, but younger elementary students may not notice her, and even if they do they may have difficulty understanding the wink-wink-nod-nod joke at the heart of the story. Some explanation from an adult will go a long way to help them understand the humor, however, and the illustrations and protagonist are still enjoyable even if the subtext is lost.
The fun premise and beautiful, action-packed illustrations make for an enjoyable read, and new details pop out every time I revisit the story. Many kids will have fun pointing out the bear sneaking onto each page, even as Ella declares, once again, that her book doesn't have any bears at all. The bear is never directly acknowledged, which adds to the fun, but younger elementary students may not notice her, and even if they do they may have difficulty understanding the wink-wink-nod-nod joke at the heart of the story. Some explanation from an adult will go a long way to help them understand the humor, however, and the illustrations and protagonist are still enjoyable even if the subtext is lost.
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