Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

A Bed for Fred

Rate this book
Ready for a nap, young Fred the Basset Hound goes to his room after a morning of play and the unthinkable happens: his comfy, red bed has disappeared! After a search through his house with a less-than-helpful mouse, Fred sets out on a journey outside to find his bed. Along the way he meets a sedentary frog, an enthusiastic cricket, and a sympathetic owl. The dilemma of his lost bed intensifies as Fred realizes he has strayed too far from home without telling his father that he left. A Bed for Fred is a delightful journey that any young child can relate to. Changing beds from cribs to toddler beds and toddler beds to "big boy" or "big girl" beds are huge steps. Discover how Fred handles this experience of complication and change with good communication and a willingness to explore Help your child figure out the world they live in!

24 pages, Hardcover

First published October 11, 2013

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Lori Zoss

4 books9 followers
Lori Zoss is the author of the suspense romance novel Under Caution and the children's book A Bed for Fred.

A passionate entrepreneur, speaker, and sports fan, Lori brings her unique perspective to her writing, blending thrilling suspense with powerful emotional connections.

Lori has been a featured speaker at various public media and educational conferences and also spends time as an Adjunct Professor of Communications and Public Relations at Baldwin Wallace University, where she has taught courses in Online Marketing, Public Relations Writing, Publicity, Event Planning, and Crisis Management.

Lori holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Arts from Baldwin Wallace University.
She lives in suburban Cleveland, OH


Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
9 (32%)
4 stars
14 (50%)
3 stars
5 (17%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for Andrea.
728 reviews20 followers
April 18, 2022
It's a cute rhyming story about a bassett hound who is upgrading to a big boy bed, but doesn't yet know it. He becomes distraught when the bed disappears, much as a young child would if he weren't a part of the changeover process. I like how the father realizes that he should have told Fred that he was changing the bed, as it is important for children to be part of such changes in their lives. The book also touches on a little lesson on not disappearing without telling your parents where you are going. The illustrations are also really cute. I would give it about 3 1/2 stars.

Thank you to the publisher for fulfilling my request via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Storywraps.
1,968 reviews39 followers
January 9, 2014
I have a cute book to tell you about today that will warm your heart and make you fall in love with Bassett hounds. The little puppy in the story, Fred, is adorable to say the least. He has his favourite little bed that he curls up in and he even wears a pajama top to seal the deal. He seems to be growing very quickly and is outgrowing his beloved bed. He lives with his dad whom he loves very dearly.

When he wakes up in his morning he is very enthusiastic with his red favourite ball, his little toy bear and especially his bowl of food! He loves life and is a very happy, playful little guy. Sticky ears and messy top prevail and Fred decides to go back to his room to shed his soiled shirt and dress fresh for a new day. When he enters his room he is shocked to find both his favourite bed and his dad gone missing. Panic sets in and he goes about trying to find them with his nose to the ground and his ears dragging along in the dirt.

He seeks counsel from his friend mouse, a lounging frog on a log, a twitchy cricket and lastly his wise friend owl who advises him to go home because darkness is settling in. Fred then hears the familiar voice of his dad and with wagging tail and happy heart he runs to greet him. His dad is relieved to see his precious little son is safe and takes him home where he belongs. Will Fred find out why his bed is missing? How will he sleep without his comfy, favourite bed if it is lost? Does his Dad know what the true story is concerning his bed and will he tell Fred the truth about it? Will Fred understand that growing up can mean changes will have to be made in your lifestyle even at the time it seems very uncomfortable to do so?

The book is written in rhyme and the illustrations are fantastic. The colour pallet is soft and natural and this book is a perfect bedtime story for your child. I highly recommend this story. I especially love the last illustration where you see Fred, with the most contented look on his face, and his guardian friend owl lovingly checking in on him to make sure he is safe and sound and sleeping happily.
Profile Image for Beth  (YA Books Central).
415 reviews113 followers
February 28, 2014
What an adorable children's book!! Basset Hounds are so adorable so I was so excited with the opportunity to review this book!

From the very first page where Fred is dreaming of chasing a red ball..me and my 6 year old son fell in love with Fred! I loved the ryhming in the story. It really made the story flow.

The illustrations in this book are precious! The vibrant colors and placement of the pictures is perfect for this story and the illustrator just makes Fred look so adorable!

The mouse, the frog, the cricket, and the owl are such cute additions to the story! Fred's interactions with these animals is so cute! My son's favorite was the Owl.

I love how the author wrote the story in such a way that makes the change from a baby bed to a big boy bed so encouraging! When Fred discovers the true reason why his bed is missing he is so excited about the change and so appreciative of what his Dad has done for him!


This was such a encouraging, cute book and my son and I loved it! As soon as we finished reading he begged me to read it to him again!! I definitely recommend this to anyone with children between the age of 2-8!
Profile Image for DelAnne Frazee.
2,027 reviews25 followers
January 6, 2014
Title: A Bed For Fred
Author: Lori Zoss
Illustrator: Cheri Polk
Publisher: Hugo House Publishers, Ltd.
Published: 12-21-2013
ISBN: 9781936449538
E-Book ASIN: B00HG5BO52
Pages: 18
Genre: Children's Fiction


Young Fred's Dad wakes him up and they begin to play. Then Fred plays with his bear until he goes to eat his breakfast. When he spills his food and gets it on his clothes he decides to go to his rooms and get dressed for the day and take a nap in his comfy, soft, red bed. Yet when he arrives in room his bed is gone. What is he going to do? How can he sleep with out his own comfy bed? Fred begins a search for his missing bed and his father who has disappeared as well. Follow along as Fred searches both the house and the world outside for his missing red bed. Meet his friends and greet new ones too.


This may be a short story but it is told in a simple rhyming pattern that children will love. The easy to follow verse along with adorable illustrations captivate the young reader and listeners. This would make a great gift for the beginner reader.

Profile Image for Christian.
113 reviews19 followers
February 10, 2014
I absolutely loved this little book! A story of a growing pup who cannot find his bed. We follow along as he searches all day to find it. This book is written in a poetic way that I know that my son would fall in love with this book. With this being an ARC e-reader copy there were no pictures which makes me sad because I would love to know what the art would be like that went with this story. I rated this book 4/5 stars for the words and may have been 5/5 if there had been pictures.

***EDIT***
I am excited to be able to edit this review. The pictures for this book were supposed to be included in this copy but technical error interfered. The publisher sent me a new copy that included the artwork.
This book is highly recommended by me! The words along with the artwork are fabulous! The artwork is so colorful and entertaining! I found myself full of "aw!" and laughs as I re-read the story with the pictures. This is such a great book for little ones.
I now rate this book 5/5 stars for the beautiful word flow and artwork.
Profile Image for Beyond the Pages with Eva K.
3,190 reviews169 followers
January 5, 2014
A Bed for Fred was an absolute delight to read! I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Positives:

- I loved how the book had elements of playful exploration.

- I really liked the variety of emotional expression displayed by Fred.

- I felt that the book had its own charming little mystery happening.

- I appreciated that Fred enlisted the help of his friends to search and solve the problem.

- I thought it was too cute that the wise owl counseled and comforted Fred.

- I loved the ending, which served as a great talking point with my kids regarding growth and change.

This colorfully cute rhyming book was perfect for my little ones.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes

A complimentary ebook was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Carol.
1,770 reviews22 followers
March 22, 2014
Fred has outgrown his lovely red bed. His dad wants to surprise him with a brand new big-dog bed. However, when Fred can't find his bed or his Dad, he grows worried and begins searching everywhere for them. His friends try to help him by showing him what they think of as good sleeping places - the cricket discovers a pile of leaves and the frog spies a log. Yet it is the wise old owl that helps Fred settle down and return home where his father is waiting with the surprise.
This is a cute, rhyming picture book about the big step from a baby bed to a big-kid bed. The illustrations are pleasant and the story fun. However, some of the rhymes seem a tad awkward and forced. Overall it gets the point across in a sweet way.
Profile Image for Dorcas.
677 reviews232 followers
August 11, 2016
This is a really cute story of a puppy who finds one day that his bed is missing and questions all the neighboring animals about seeing it. It reminded me a bit of Are You My Mother? which was always a favorite of mine so "A Bed For Fred" brought back fond childhood memories.

And the ending is very sweet.I won't spoil it but I think this is a wonderful book for children who are transitioning from the family bed/crib into a "big girl/boy" bed.

Highly recommended!

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Suzanne.
2,254 reviews46 followers
January 12, 2014
A rhyming story of a young basset hound who discovers that his bed is gone and tries to find it. He asks various animals to help with the search, but no bed is found. At the end of the day, Dad shows him his new, bigger bed. Young readers may notice that Fred's red bed is much too small and guess what is going on when Dad and the bed are both missing. It would be a good story to use with kids who are moving into a "big boy" or "big girl" bed in their own homes.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Profile Image for Jamie Stilla.
36 reviews
December 4, 2013
A beautiful story of growing up to which any child (or parent) can relate. Loved the rhythm of the story with its rhyming style. Illustrations were beautiful. A talented author and illustrator came together and created a great story not to be missed by readers of any age. Great for bedtime bookshelves.
Profile Image for Michael.
23 reviews
January 4, 2014
Read this book to my daughter today, and she really enjoyed it. She is 2 and a half and while she likes to have books read to her, she usually won't sit though a book. This book was just the right length and she liked the pictures that went along with the story. Hopefully A Bed for Fred will help her deal with the change that comes from getting a new bed when it comes time for that change.
Profile Image for Kim.
78 reviews
January 7, 2014
a charming and lovely story for "kids" of all ages. i wish i would have had this book when my kids were little only because there is a wee lesson in there too about change! The story and illustrations are just wonderful. I highly recommend! And if you get to meet Fred at a book signing you will fall in love!
9 reviews1 follower
January 13, 2014
This book is a whimsical tale of a sleepy puppy who has lost his Bed. I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it to my kids. It's a little bit long for a children's book but has a good rhyming flow to it. Great book for bedtime reading!
Profile Image for Jane.
1,118 reviews
February 11, 2014
Really cute story about a Bassett hound named Fred who's on a mission to find his bed. It's a rhyming story, so of course the kiddos really liked it too. Thank you Net Galley, for the opportunity to read it.
Profile Image for Nay Denise.
1,754 reviews89 followers
April 18, 2014
Too adorable! Fred learned a valuable lesson. No matter what your favorite thing may be you can always outgrow it and replace it with something similar that better suits you.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews