Bongo Larry

Larry the Polar Bear #3

by Daniel Pinkwater, Jill Pinkwater (Illustrator)

Larry, the fun-loving polar bear who falls asleep on a piece of Arctic ice and ends up in New Jersey, finds himself in jail one night after being arrested for disturbing the peace following his performance with Big Bear at the Cafe Mama Bear.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1998

About the author

Daniel 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.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beatniks, jazz, all that, it's history, man. What more fun way to get an introduction to it than by exploring it with Larry and his friends the Forbishers? I am bewitched and looking forward to reading more Larry books. (This is not the first, and reading them in order would clearly have helped make this even more special.)

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Larry the polar bear returns in this third hilarious adventure, complete with cool shades and stylish black beret. It's a Pinkwater paean to the beatnik ethos, chronicling Larry's "bohemian period," from his arrest for playing the bongos in the park late one night, to his joyful performance with the famed musician Big Bear at the Cafe Mama Bear.

Bongo Larry is vintage Pinkwater, with its outrageously funny dialogue, delivered with perfect comedic timing and sly nonchalance: "Well, I am rebelling," Larry informs his puzzled best friend, Martin Frobisher. "You are rebelling? What are you rebelling against?" "What have you got," Larry asked. It's more hilarious fun with those muffin-loving Pinkwater bears... only a "square" could resist!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Book is Incredible!! It changed my LIFE!!!

Seriously. It was my sons' favorite picture book when they were toddlers. We sang the songs. We danced. We threw multiple "Bongo Larry" Birthday Parties. We dressed in black and wore shades. We made necklaces out of pasta beads and snapped our fingers. We became a family of Neo-Bohemians... because of this book.

It's simply a 'Must-Read' for all eccentric parents of toddlers who expect that they'll become parents of teens someday... srsly.

[Phil J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I told my wife, Semolina, and my daughter, Mildred, "Larry said that policemen are squares."
"Oh, my!" said Semolina.
"He played bongos in the park at night. He says he is rebelling."
"Maybe he is going through a phase," Semolina said.
"Maybe," I said, "but he will be a bad influence on our daughter, Mildred."
"Larry is cool," Mildred said.

This book will teach your kid how to be a beatnik. Is that something you want? Daniel Pinkwater thinks so. I am stunned that he convinced a publisher, even one I've never heard of, to put out this insane picture book.

*Spoiler alert: Larry the polar bear regrets nothing. It is not just a phase; he is a beat to the bone, complete with beret, sunglasses, and freestyle poetry.

My daughter's favorite part was the four page long jam session/polar bear song at the end. THIS BOOK IS CRAZY!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Larry rebels. He doesn't have a reason, but takes up the bongo and starts acting like a beatnik. His friend Martin doesn't understand why Larry is doing these things, but he gives Larry's new interests a chance and finds out that they are fun.
The themes of this book include accepting others, trying new things and sticking by friends/family.
I think this would be a fun addition to beat literature by showing an exaggerated stereotype of a beatnik.

[Tommy Schlosser · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't love the artwork and there seemed to be little point or moral to the book.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book captures the beatnik scene, only with polar bears. Weird.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

07/09: Cute. None of the Larry books grabbed us like "Ice Cream Larry." That's a family favorite.

Back Cover:
Larry the polar bear has gone bohemian. He plays the bongos, writes poetry, and wears a beret and sunglasses....

[mehg-hen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious and very weird.

[Shannan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! Larry is groovy, man

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite of the Larry books. Another text-heavy one. And delving into a world/era that is not me. I wonder how many kids would get some of the language or references?

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

to this day, one of the best insults i have is calling someone a square and say they have corners.