What Will I Do Without You?

by Sally Grindley, Penny Dann (Illustrator)

'What will I do without you?' asks Figgy Twosocks as her friend Jefferson Bear prepares to hibernate for winter. Alone in the wintry woods, with only her naughty brothers, Big Smudge and Floppylugs, to play with, Figgy Twosocks feels sad and sulky, until she finds a new playmate in Hoptail the squirrel. A poignant story with a reassuring message, this sequel to What Are Friends For? is perfect for all young children exploring the art of making new friends and learning how to deal with separation. The gentle text and irresistible artwork makes this a picture book ideal for sharing with even the smallest child.

Genres: Friendship, Animals, Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

I came into children's books originally as Editorial Director of a nationwide children's book club, though I had written and directed a children's play while a student at Sussex University, which was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe. I wrote my first two children's picture books in 1984 and was lucky enough that Anthony Browne wanted to illustrate the second - Knock Knock Who's There? It was published in 1985, is still going strong today and is one of my most successful.

Shhh! was published in 1991 and has known great success in France/Belgium in particular (close on 300,000 copies sold). It's success in the UK - it won the Children's Book Award - was hampered by the liquidation of its original publisher.

I became a full-time author in 1995 and now have some 150+ titles published, the most recent being L'Histoire du Soir in France, Belgium and Italy.

Feather Wars, published in 2003, was my first sortie into young fiction and was followed by the very successful Spilled Water, which has been published in some ten different languages and is very popular in schools as a class reader. It won the Nestle Smarties Gold Award (and I wound up being a 'Pointless' answer on the back of it!) Broken Glass came next and was a Sunday Times Book of the Week.

I'm currently working on picture books again and have plans to illustrate one of my own in the not too distant future - watch this space!

Reviews

[Natalie Harding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Cute! The kids loved it. I liked the illustrations and loved the Jefferson bear especially since the kids have an Uncle Jefferson :)

[Ashley Zink · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a bear tells his best friend, a fox, that he will be asleep all winter, the fox wonders what she will do without him. This is a good story about love and friendship that will entertain young readers. K-3rd

[Lyli Cengiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ei paljon sanottavaa. Perus "aivan ihana" iltasatu kirja. Suomeksi: Kaipaan sinua ystäväni. Kuvat suloisia ja tarina iltaan sopiva ja lapset koukuttava.

[Goshen PL Childrens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read at Storytime on January 20, 2021
Theme: Hibernation

[Y.Poston]

sweet winter to spring friendship tale

[viola ✨]

Read at the supermarket yesterday, on Jan 2, And lost my little bird today. I love him and will miss him so much every single day. Günbatımı, I really really don't know what I'll do without you.

[Gabriela Rosas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es una historia enternecedora sobre la amistad.

[Brittany O'Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites as a kid, and now reading to my little baby Ivory 🤍

[Stephanie Delvecchio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:It's time for Jefferson Bear to hibernate for the winter, and his friend Figgy Twosocks, a young fox, doesn't understand why he has to go away. Without him, she amuses herself by building a giant snow bear and avoiding snowballs thrown by her brothers. Soon, however, she finds a new friend in Hoptail the squirrel, who keeps her company throughout the long winter. As spring approaches, Figgy worries that Jefferson will be angry with her for making a new friend, but finds that her fears were unfounded. Though the characters' names are rather cutesy, their worries will be immediately recognizable to children. The illustrations are appealing enough, depicting Jefferson Bear as a big, huggable creature and Figgy as small and worried. The warm orange of her fur is set off throughout by the icy tones of the landscapes, making her the center of attention. A book that combines two oft-asked-for topics: hibernation and making new friends. Thank you Amazon!

Theme: friendship, hibernation, missing someone

Use: introduce hibernation

Curricular uses: read-aloud, independent reading

Level: 3-8