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Larry the Polar Bear #1
Young Larry
After being hit on the head by his mother and told to fend for himself, Larry the polar bear floats from Baffin Bay to New Jersey where he gets a job as a lifeguard.
32 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1997
About the author
Daniel Pinkwater
146 books433 followersDaniel Manus Pinkwater is an author of mostly children's books and is an occasional commentator on National Public Radio. He attended Bard College. Well-known books include Lizard Music, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, Fat Men from Space, Borgel, and the picture book The Big Orange Splot. Pinkwater has also illustrated many of his books in the past, although for more recent works that task has passed to his wife Jill Pinkwater.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 4, 2020
Those readers with a fondness for sentimental reassurance tales, in which fuzzy, anthropomorphized animals embody parental and/or filial devotion, are advised to keep looking. This is a Pinkwater book, and although by no means realistic - Larry is a polar bear who becomes a lifeguard in Bayonne, New Jersey, after all - its hero is definitely not meant to be "human." The hilarious exchange between Larry, his brother Roy, and his mother at the beginning of the book, is the perfect example of that sly humor for which Daniel Pinkwater is so celebrated:
"One day, I will give you a hit in the head myself," their mother said. "And send you off to take care of yourselves."
"Wow. That is harsh," Larry and Roy said.
"It is Nature's way," Larry and Roy's mother said.
"Well, I don't like it," Larry said.
"Nobody is asking you to like it. You are bears. Get used to it."
Accompanied by Jill Pinkwater's droll illustrations, this first picture book about the adventures of a very unusual polar bear will entertain young (and not-so-young) readers with an appreciation for the absurd. I myself discovered the Pinkwaters through their marvelous books about Irving and Muktuk (two Bad Bears), and was thrilled when I realized that there was an earlier, related series of books. An absolute must for Pinkwater fans - particular those who want to see the beginning of the polar bear obsession with blueberry muffins!
"One day, I will give you a hit in the head myself," their mother said. "And send you off to take care of yourselves."
"Wow. That is harsh," Larry and Roy said.
"It is Nature's way," Larry and Roy's mother said.
"Well, I don't like it," Larry said.
"Nobody is asking you to like it. You are bears. Get used to it."
Accompanied by Jill Pinkwater's droll illustrations, this first picture book about the adventures of a very unusual polar bear will entertain young (and not-so-young) readers with an appreciation for the absurd. I myself discovered the Pinkwaters through their marvelous books about Irving and Muktuk (two Bad Bears), and was thrilled when I realized that there was an earlier, related series of books. An absolute must for Pinkwater fans - particular those who want to see the beginning of the polar bear obsession with blueberry muffins!
May 13, 2017
Continuing Daniel Pinkwater's obsession with polar bears who eat blueberry muffins. Recommended for people who like straight-faced absurdity. My five year old said it was great, although she wanted to know more about Larry's brother, Roy.
October 22, 2008
I’ve worked my way through the five Bad Bears Irving and Muktuk books by these authors and love them. Larry appears in that series and was not one of my favorite characters there but in this book I found him extremely endearing. This book is silly and sweet and while not side splitting, funny at times. This did seem geared to young children (although I enjoyed it!) and the Bad Bears books have references that are obviously specifically to entertain adults. Jill Pinkwater’s illustrations are very good in this; they get amazing in the Bad Bears books. Since I read the five Bad Bears books that are published so far, even though they came after this, I now consider this a prequel, and I’ll have to read the others in the Larry series. Because Larry is seen in the first part of this book as a cub, more real polar bear behaviors are covered in this book. Of course, as Larry grows up, the story becomes a delightful fantasy.
September 15, 2011
Larry knows what he wants – blueberry muffins. Because he’s kind, helpful, honest, and very good at asking sensible questions, he has a great chance of satisfying his desires. The fact that Larry is a medium-sized polar bear is a bit of a problem, but not insurmountable.
This is a wonderful story to reinforce the value of doing good. And it’s funny in such a matter-of-fact way. I love it when mom explains how she’ll one day send Larry and her brother away, and when she describes the quality of humans of food. It love it when Larry says, “Wow. That is harsh.” And “This is as good as those other ones.” And “I have never claimed to be anything else.”
Jill Pinkwater’s illustrations are playful and smiley. My favorites: Larry and Roy catching muffins from the boat, the bear family watching the boat, Larry lazing with a branch in his teeth, and Larry drinking tea. Larry’s a little thin in some of the other pics, but his heart is always full.
This is a wonderful story to reinforce the value of doing good. And it’s funny in such a matter-of-fact way. I love it when mom explains how she’ll one day send Larry and her brother away, and when she describes the quality of humans of food. It love it when Larry says, “Wow. That is harsh.” And “This is as good as those other ones.” And “I have never claimed to be anything else.”
Jill Pinkwater’s illustrations are playful and smiley. My favorites: Larry and Roy catching muffins from the boat, the bear family watching the boat, Larry lazing with a branch in his teeth, and Larry drinking tea. Larry’s a little thin in some of the other pics, but his heart is always full.
August 25, 2010
Laid-back polar bear Larry grows up in the Arctic and develops a taste for blueberry muffins after an encounter with a boat. He ends up drifting to New Jersey on an ice floe and working as a lifeguard in exchange for muffins. This is a fun book, but some kids may be confused by Larry's mom hitting him and his brother on the head and telling them to get lost and fend for themselves ("Wow. That is harsh," Larry and Roy said. "It is Nature's way," Larry and Roy's mother said). Grades preK - 3.
August 29, 2026
Young Larry is a fantasy fulfillment book for the young American. At the same time, it hides subversive messages about the true cost of getting what we want.
Larry is a polar bear who lives in the arctic eating fish and seals with his brother. Like many young adults, he misses the carefree days of having a mother ensure his well-being. Like all youngsters, Larry dreams of a more exciting life -- one that doesn't involve the sameness and drudgery of searching for food, and involves many many more blueberry muffins.
Opportunity finds him in a lifeguarding job in New Jersey.
A polar bear is arguably suited to be a lifeguard, as polar bears are very strong swimmers. The irony, of course, is that while lifeguards need to be strong swimmers, they spend most of their day out of the water, sitting, not swimming. Additionally, compared to the tediousness of hunting in the Arctic, lifeguarding is even more tedious, as it involves sitting and scanning the same section of water over and over for hours on end. Larry has traded a fairly healthy lifestyle in the Arctic for a dull, sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle in New Jersey. But he did it for a reward he considers worth it: blueberry muffins.
Blueberry muffins are, of course, extremely unhealthy for polar bears, who require a high-protein diet. So is sitting in a chair all day. But in this way, Larry is no different from the myriads of other sedentary Americans, sitting at desks staring at screens, trading their health and eyesight for comfy couches and Netflix subscriptions and yes, also blueberry muffins -- all things we crave, we buy because we can, and which are terrible for our well-being.
At some point, most people wake up and realize this life is not what they thought it would be. It's not the excitement they imagined, and the blueberry muffins hardly seem worth the grind to obtain them. Other times, the wake up message comes from work itself, when people realize that they will never be stars or high achievers or covered in glory. This is what comes for Larry: he gets fired. His ability to work is compromised by the immutable characteristic of being a polar bear -- his boss does not want "that type" on their beaches.
It seems Larry may be cut adrift in the classic mid-life crisis. What will he do? Humans typically take one of two options: either they double down, working harder, searching for the chance to prove themselves, or they throw it all to the wind and start a duck farm in Australia. We wonder what Larry will do now: will he have to do the healthy thing and return to the Arctic? Or will he double down on his attachment to muffins and find a way to stay?
Here the wish-fulfillment kicks in again. Larry gets that chance to double down and prove himself -- he saves a billionaire from drowning. In thanks, he gets a permanent sinecure lifeguarding and eating blueberry muffins. Larry has secured the American dream -- ease, luxury, and a permanent supply of all that is wrong with his life.
He will die of heart disease or diabetes a few years after the last page of this book.
Larry is a polar bear who lives in the arctic eating fish and seals with his brother. Like many young adults, he misses the carefree days of having a mother ensure his well-being. Like all youngsters, Larry dreams of a more exciting life -- one that doesn't involve the sameness and drudgery of searching for food, and involves many many more blueberry muffins.
Opportunity finds him in a lifeguarding job in New Jersey.
A polar bear is arguably suited to be a lifeguard, as polar bears are very strong swimmers. The irony, of course, is that while lifeguards need to be strong swimmers, they spend most of their day out of the water, sitting, not swimming. Additionally, compared to the tediousness of hunting in the Arctic, lifeguarding is even more tedious, as it involves sitting and scanning the same section of water over and over for hours on end. Larry has traded a fairly healthy lifestyle in the Arctic for a dull, sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle in New Jersey. But he did it for a reward he considers worth it: blueberry muffins.
Blueberry muffins are, of course, extremely unhealthy for polar bears, who require a high-protein diet. So is sitting in a chair all day. But in this way, Larry is no different from the myriads of other sedentary Americans, sitting at desks staring at screens, trading their health and eyesight for comfy couches and Netflix subscriptions and yes, also blueberry muffins -- all things we crave, we buy because we can, and which are terrible for our well-being.
At some point, most people wake up and realize this life is not what they thought it would be. It's not the excitement they imagined, and the blueberry muffins hardly seem worth the grind to obtain them. Other times, the wake up message comes from work itself, when people realize that they will never be stars or high achievers or covered in glory. This is what comes for Larry: he gets fired. His ability to work is compromised by the immutable characteristic of being a polar bear -- his boss does not want "that type" on their beaches.
It seems Larry may be cut adrift in the classic mid-life crisis. What will he do? Humans typically take one of two options: either they double down, working harder, searching for the chance to prove themselves, or they throw it all to the wind and start a duck farm in Australia. We wonder what Larry will do now: will he have to do the healthy thing and return to the Arctic? Or will he double down on his attachment to muffins and find a way to stay?
Here the wish-fulfillment kicks in again. Larry gets that chance to double down and prove himself -- he saves a billionaire from drowning. In thanks, he gets a permanent sinecure lifeguarding and eating blueberry muffins. Larry has secured the American dream -- ease, luxury, and a permanent supply of all that is wrong with his life.
He will die of heart disease or diabetes a few years after the last page of this book.
September 28, 2017
I think I might like the Larry books, for a slightly younger audience, even more than the Irving and Muktuk books. I'll def. keep reading & checking!
February 11, 2016
Larry knows what he wants 13 blueberry muffins. Because he 19s kind, helpful, honest, and very good at asking sensible questions 13 he has a great chance of satisfying his desires. The fact that Larry is a medium-sized polar bear is a bit of a problem, but not insurmountable.
This is a wonderful story to reinforce the value of doing good. And it 19s funny in such a matter-of-fact way. I love it when mom explains how she 19ll one day send Larry and her brother away, and when she describes the quality of humans of food. It love it when Larry says, 1CWow. That is harsh. 1D And 1CThis is as good as those other ones. 1D And 1CI have never claimed to be anything else. 1D
Jill Pinkwater 19s illustrations are playful and smiley. My favorites: Larry and Roy catching muffins from the boat, the bear family watching the boat, Larry lazing with a branch in his teeth, and Larry drinking tea. Larry 19s a little thin in some of the other pics, but his heart is always full.
This is a wonderful story to reinforce the value of doing good. And it 19s funny in such a matter-of-fact way. I love it when mom explains how she 19ll one day send Larry and her brother away, and when she describes the quality of humans of food. It love it when Larry says, 1CWow. That is harsh. 1D And 1CThis is as good as those other ones. 1D And 1CI have never claimed to be anything else. 1D
Jill Pinkwater 19s illustrations are playful and smiley. My favorites: Larry and Roy catching muffins from the boat, the bear family watching the boat, Larry lazing with a branch in his teeth, and Larry drinking tea. Larry 19s a little thin in some of the other pics, but his heart is always full.
January 16, 2016
07/09: We appreciated this look at Larry's beginnings.
Amazon Book Description: PreSchool-Grade 3.
The eccentric brilliance of the Pinkwaters shines brightly in this pair of books featuring Larry the polar bear. Young Larry and his brother Roy are a couple of regular cubs, with an absent father of whom they are nonetheless proud ("He found a dead whale one time, and ate the whole thing himself") and a typical polar bear mother ("One day, I will give you a hit in the head myself...and send you off to take care of yourselves"). When that day finally comes, Larry discovers that being a grown-up bear is downright boring. He curls up on the ice for a nap in Baffin Bay and wakes up in Bayonne, New Jersey. His taste for muffins leads him to a job as a lifeguard, and his rescue of a Mr. Martin Frobisher leads him to the sequel.
Amazon Book Description: PreSchool-Grade 3.
The eccentric brilliance of the Pinkwaters shines brightly in this pair of books featuring Larry the polar bear. Young Larry and his brother Roy are a couple of regular cubs, with an absent father of whom they are nonetheless proud ("He found a dead whale one time, and ate the whole thing himself") and a typical polar bear mother ("One day, I will give you a hit in the head myself...and send you off to take care of yourselves"). When that day finally comes, Larry discovers that being a grown-up bear is downright boring. He curls up on the ice for a nap in Baffin Bay and wakes up in Bayonne, New Jersey. His taste for muffins leads him to a job as a lifeguard, and his rescue of a Mr. Martin Frobisher leads him to the sequel.
February 10, 2011
A fantastic and funny book. My sister got this for my son (she picked it out really fast), which I had to think twice about after reading it. Despite its looks, it’s not quite what you want to tuck your kid in with at night.
September 21, 2011
This book's oddball humor is classic Pinkwater-style weirdness and if that matches your sense of humor, then this book is definitely worth a look. As the earliest book in a series of Larry stories, this one is the start of something fun. And once again, it's another story that lands in New Jersey.
November 10, 2011
This book is much too text-heavy for a storytime--even for school-age. Not enough in the pictures to keep their attention while you read all that. But it is humorous (and silly!) to see where Larry "came from."
January 4, 2009
Pinkwater tells a story that adults and kids can love. Especially over a bag of muffins.
November 20, 2012
Pinkwater has such a quirky sense of humor. This story of Larry as a cub and how he arrived in Bayonne , NJ loving blueberry muffins is one of them.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews