Bears

by Christopher Nicholas, Pedro Julio Gonzalez

Have you ever wondered how the grizzly bear, sloth bear, and sun bear got their names? Or what bear is hardly bigger than a dog? Or which bear can eat a whale? Explore this exciting book for answers to questions you'll be glad we asked—plus “Did You Know?” fun facts and lots of beautiful, dramatic illustrations.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Picture Books

26 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think it’s a secret to say that bears are cool. They’re big and fuzzy, they sleep all winter, they come in different colors and sizes. What little kid hasn’t been given a teddy bear to hold, or been read stories about Winnie the Pooh and Paddington? Bears are a big part of childhood for us all. But when kids want to know more about bears, where can they turn for the answers to their questions?

Kids Ask About Bears is part of a series that answers questions about different animals, like apes, spiders, lizards, bats, and whales, and even about other things like mummies and volcanoes. But this one answers specific bear questions, like Where do polar bears live? and Do bears ever wake up from their long winter’s night? and Do bears have a sweet tooth?

With illustrations of bears in their natural habitats, kids can see for themselves how bears live. They learn about different types of bears, where in the world they live, and what they eat. They find out about how cubs live with their mothers for two years before they have to go off on their own, and how koalas aren’t actually bears but in the kangaroo family. There is a lot of information about all kinds of bears, including sloth bears, sun bears, Kodiak bears, and polar bears. And there are also some humorous facts, like how bears like honey (their thick fur keeps the bees from getting too close) and how hungry bears will steal the food from campers if they can smell it.

This is a short book, less than 30 pages, but it packs a lot of interesting facts in there, for anyone wanting to know more about the bears of the world or cramming for their appearance on Jeopardy! The kids with all the questions, whose curiosity is always bubbling up, will devour this book, probably reading it over and over. And it would be a great addition to a school library, to help answer all the bear questions in a fun, colorful, entertaining way.

Egalleys for Kids Ask About Bears were provided by Sequoia Kids Media, with many thanks.

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

with terrific wildlife illustrations by Pedro Julio Gonzalez.

If your kid ever goes through a hyperfixation stage on bears, then this is absolutely the book to get them. Chock-full of fun facts and interesting data, this slender volume is the perfect gift for any kid who wants to know more about the omnivorous mammal. Presented in an easy to read question-and-answer format, this nonfiction tome will enrapture any reader who loves the natural world, and might very well beguile readers who have yet to discover its joys.

Christopher Nicholas' writing covers each of the major species of bears, briefly describing why they're called what they are. I hadn't even realized why grizzly, sun and moon bears had those names! The book even tells you what species aren't bears, so pandas: yes, red pandas and koalas: no. Kids Ask About Bears gives an overview of where each bear lives, what differentiates them from one another, and just what's so special about each kind. It's a very thorough survey given the relatively scant number of pages.

The book then goes on to examine what bears eat; how they hibernate, birth and raise their young, and ends with points of interest that will most appeal to kids. It really encourages readers to appreciate the animal, and to go out and seek more information on the topic.

This is all helped by the fact that the book is beautifully illustrated. The pictures are a throwback to mid- to late-20th-century illustrations, a sort of near-photorealistic artist's interpretation of wildlife photos that wouldn't be out of place in a National Geographic or similar conservation-minded magazine. My nonfiction-loving nine year-old enjoyed reading this book with me, even if his one big tip about defeating an attacking bear was to use a large rolling rock. Thanks, kid, I'll keep that in mind.

Kids Ask About: Bears by Christopher Nicholas was published February 7 2023 by Sequoia Kids Media and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!

This review originally appeared at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids are curious about animals. Kids Ask About Bears answers 36 questions about bears. The information is provided in short bite-sized pieces making this a good book for younger children. It could be used if a child has to do a report about bears.
The illustrations are realistic and seem accurate. Children will enjoy looking at the pictures even if they can’t read.
The book could have had a little better editing. The pronouns used could confuse young readers. Several times the author uses the pronoun “who” when “what” would have been a better choice. Who is only to be used for people and bears are not people. For example “who are bears” should be “what are bears.”
Other than my concerns about pronoun use, I think that Kids Ask About Bears is appropriate for a K-12 Christian school library.
I received a complimentary copy of Kids Ask About Bears. This is my honest review.

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an eGalley. This is a good entry-level book for students curious about bears. The reading level is just right for primary students, but it is still educational. The ancillary materials on the publisher's website are pretty basic, but very attractive, as is the book. I was disappointed that the polar bear page only mentioned the white fur, not the dark skin the bear has to absorb warmth.

I also noticed that Goodreads has a 2000 version that looks the same, but this has a 2022 copyright. I am not sure if anything was changed.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic copy from Sequoia Kids Media through Publishers Weekly TLA Grab-a-Galley.
Well written informative text that covers a wide variety of bears and their habitats. Geared or mid to upper elementary level readers. The illustrations capture each type of bear and show pieces of their home and diet. Nicholas selected wording this age level can follow and comprehend. Great option for students who want a breadth of information about bears. Can be used as a jumping point to find other books to learn more about a particular type of bear.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to bears! I also like that the book talks about animals frequently mistaken for bears - such as koalas and red pandas - and explains that they are not really bears. I enjoyed learning that sloth bears can move really fast unlike actual sloths.
Thank you to Sequoia for an electronic version of the book to read and review!
This would certainly be a great addition to any library collection.

[Beckiezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting information on bears, though it made me have more questions than I had before I started reading. It would’ve been nice to have some sources or a more dense bunch of details at the end for adults who might get asked a lot of follow up questions, but maybe kids wouldn’t have the same bear biases that led me to wonder more and would instead just enjoy learning the details provided. Hoopla bonus borrow worth checking out if you like bears or animals in general.

[Critter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

This is a great introduction to bears and would be fantastic for anyone with a child fascinated by bears. The book is greatly informative. It covers various species of bears and breaks down information to be easily accessible. The illustrations were beautifully done.

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a galley of this, and figured since it's a quiet day today, I'd give it a read. I think this is a good format - the questions posed make the information given feel more interactive and engaging. Seems like it would be a solid purchase for a juvenile nonfiction section.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to the world of bears. Clear, concise text. Included are bears one does not typically hear about in a kids book - sloth bears and speckled bears. Also talks about animals that are not bears - koalas and red pandas.
I received an ebook copy from Sequoia Kids Media.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬! 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰. :)

𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐢𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 & 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰!

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun collection and presentation of facts about bears - just wish it had some photos instead of all drawings.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great informational text all about the different bears in the world. A great start for a report on bears even for the youngest readers.
A must-have for all libraries.