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Bear and Bird #1
Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories
Picture-book maven Jarvis brings his subtle wit and charm to the chapter-book realm with this set of stories about a most endearing pair.
Bear didn’t really like the painting. I mean, look at it.
But he liked Bird a lot, and it would remind him of her . . .
Bear and Bird are best friends, and they spend a lot of time together. They don’t always understand each other, but both agree that all they want is for their friend to be happy. So when Bear forgets the most important thing to pack for a picnic (but pretends that he didn’t), Bird doesn’t let on that she knew all along. And when Bird is upset to discover her friend has more of a certain talent than she does, Bear finds a touching way to make her feel better. Whether it’s the tale of a missing Bird and a “talking” flower that has Bear bewildered or that of a blanket whose irresistible coziness inspires a comic misunderstanding, Jarvis’s well-honed timing combines with gentle humor and genuine affection that will have readers eager for more.
Bear didn’t really like the painting. I mean, look at it.
But he liked Bird a lot, and it would remind him of her . . .
Bear and Bird are best friends, and they spend a lot of time together. They don’t always understand each other, but both agree that all they want is for their friend to be happy. So when Bear forgets the most important thing to pack for a picnic (but pretends that he didn’t), Bird doesn’t let on that she knew all along. And when Bird is upset to discover her friend has more of a certain talent than she does, Bear finds a touching way to make her feel better. Whether it’s the tale of a missing Bird and a “talking” flower that has Bear bewildered or that of a blanket whose irresistible coziness inspires a comic misunderstanding, Jarvis’s well-honed timing combines with gentle humor and genuine affection that will have readers eager for more.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2023
1 person is currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Jarvis
185 books71 followersJarvis is an illustrator and animator who has worked as both a record jacket designer and an animation director. He lives in Manchester, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
April 17, 2024
Four sweet funny little stories about friends Bear (a bear) and Bird (a bird). I like how the stories play with social conventions - how we lie to eachother out of not wanting to hurt the other person. A good lesson to learn.
And OH YEAHH the illustrations are FREAKING INCREDIBLE.
(Thanks to Candlewick for providing me with a review copy through Edelweiss)
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February 12, 2024Een heerlijk voorleesboek over de ontzettend goede vrienden Beer en Vogel. In hun vriendschap willen zij het heel goed doen voor elkaar ... soms ook juist iets té goed. De Britse Jarvis schreef en tekende de grappige en leuke verhaaltjes, die doen denken aan de Kikker & Pad verhalen van Arnold Nobel. Uitgegeven bij Gottmer en leuk vertaald door Tjibbe Veltkamp. Heerlijk voor kleuters vanaf een jaar of 4-5.
We bespreken het boek in aflevering 111 van De Grote Vriendelijke Podcast. Luister nu via Spotify, je podcastapp of https://degrotevriendelijkepodcast.nl...
We bespreken het boek in aflevering 111 van De Grote Vriendelijke Podcast. Luister nu via Spotify, je podcastapp of https://degrotevriendelijkepodcast.nl...
March 12, 2024
Ik kende Jarvis eigenlijk alleen van het prachtige prentenboek De jongen met bloemen in zijn haar, maar Vogel en Beer is het lezen net zo waard.
Over twee beste vrienden die kleine avonturen beleven in het bos, superzoet en warm. Mooi zijn de zachte, sfeervolle illustraties en hoe deze twee vrienden altijd oog voor elkaar hebben. 💛
Over twee beste vrienden die kleine avonturen beleven in het bos, superzoet en warm. Mooi zijn de zachte, sfeervolle illustraties en hoe deze twee vrienden altijd oog voor elkaar hebben. 💛
May 3, 2024
Oké deze vond ik écht heel schattig en heel leuk! 4,5*
Superleuke stijl aan illustraties, en ik vond de verhalen ook echt heel leuk. Het is leuk voorlezen, maar het zijn ook herkenbare situaties. Dol op deze!
Superleuke stijl aan illustraties, en ik vond de verhalen ook echt heel leuk. Het is leuk voorlezen, maar het zijn ook herkenbare situaties. Dol op deze!
December 13, 2023
Historia o kocyku jest o mnie i moim narzeczonym 🥹 przeurocza!
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May 20, 2025évidemment, c'est adorable
August 18, 2023
A book about friendship and forgotten picnics and squishy blankets and did I mention friendship? Definitely my jam.
July 2, 2025
The illustrations are cute but for a book for younger children there was a lot of lying which was never actually addressed and instead made to seem okay.
Children’s books do not need to be full of metaphors but children are very impressionable and teaching them that it’s okay to lie to your friend to make them happy instead of communicating honestly is, I think, not at all a good thing.
Three of the four stories involved lying in some way to resolve the problem instead of communicating and working through it in a better way.
Like this excerpt for instant:
“And most importantly—have you packed the picnic?” said Bird.
There was a bit of a pause before Bear said, “Yes. I’ve packed the picnic.”
Bear had not packed the picnic.
“Great,” said Bird. “What a wonderful picnic we’re going to have.”
“Yes,” said Bear.
Bird would not be at all happy if she knew that Bear had forgotten all of the picnic things.
So, instead it was better to say that he had them.
That way, Bird would be happy.
Bear preferred to make Bird happy.
And this excerpt:
Bear would not be at all happy if he knew that Bird knew that he had forgotten all the picnic things.
So, instead, it was better to say nothing. That way, Bear would be happy.
Bird preferred to make Bear happy.
I feel like this just teaches children it’s okay to be a people pleaser and to manage other’s emotions which is a very unhealthy thing to teach children.
Children’s books do not need to be full of metaphors but children are very impressionable and teaching them that it’s okay to lie to your friend to make them happy instead of communicating honestly is, I think, not at all a good thing.
Three of the four stories involved lying in some way to resolve the problem instead of communicating and working through it in a better way.
Like this excerpt for instant:
“And most importantly—have you packed the picnic?” said Bird.
There was a bit of a pause before Bear said, “Yes. I’ve packed the picnic.”
Bear had not packed the picnic.
“Great,” said Bird. “What a wonderful picnic we’re going to have.”
“Yes,” said Bear.
Bird would not be at all happy if she knew that Bear had forgotten all of the picnic things.
So, instead it was better to say that he had them.
That way, Bird would be happy.
Bear preferred to make Bird happy.
And this excerpt:
Bear would not be at all happy if he knew that Bird knew that he had forgotten all the picnic things.
So, instead, it was better to say nothing. That way, Bear would be happy.
Bird preferred to make Bear happy.
I feel like this just teaches children it’s okay to be a people pleaser and to manage other’s emotions which is a very unhealthy thing to teach children.
August 1, 2023
This was very cute and wholesome. Am I reading "children's" books to fight away the sads? Yes, but It was a great decision.
October 7, 2023
The first of four stories is a funny misunderstanding where Bear thinks Bird, who is stuck in a flower, is a talking flower. Reminded me of Pilkey’s A Friend for Dragon which was one of my kids’ favorites growing up. But I didn’t like how angry Bird looks at the end of the story and how she doesn’t try to clear up the misunderstanding. The following three stories are all funny in some ways too, but also involve Bird and/or Bear lying to each other. Yes, it is a worthy impulse to not want to hurt a friend’s feelings. However, lying should not be the only or final choice for interacting w another and it definitely will not strengthen one’s friendships over the long run. These books do not show second or third thoughts about how to interact w a friend that would be more honest, healthier, and ultimately kinder than lying.
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July 22, 2023Bear and Bird are an updated, no-nonsense Frog & Toad or Gerald & Piggie. There is plenty of silliness and friendship, but there are also some white-lies, mistakes, and secrets among friends. Bear and Bird are honest and realistic and also just as charming as their odd couple predecessors. I laughed so much at their antics and the humor throughout. When Bear doesn't get to the door very fast, his response is "sorry I'm late, I thought my feet would go faster." When Bird doesn't turn out to be as artistically talented as Bear, she expresses her frustration and Bear lets her vent. They share their feelings and they don't always have to be happy. I loved them and I hope we get more of their adventures.
December 23, 2024
Prachtige illustraties, echt enorm genoten, maar ik snap niet hoe deze twee vrienden zijn gegeven hoeveel leugentjes ze bedachten, hoeveel conflicten ze gewoon niet aangingen, hoe ze liever de andere blij hielden dan eerlijk zijn. Wees gewoon eerlijk. Als je een dag hebt dat je niet uit je bed wilt komen zeg dat dan gewoon. Als je een schilderij niet mooi vindt hoef je dat echt niet voor je te houden, natuurlijk je moet wel een beetje subtiel het brengen, maar nu denk Vogel dat Beer haar schilderijen prachtig vindt. Als je alles bent vergeten van een picknick vertel dat dan. Jeetje.
November 13, 2023
5 stars. Three charming stories featuring the 2 best friends and talking flowers, a nibbling nature picnic, Bird’s painting “I mean look at it”, and an unbelievable blanket.
Gentle messages of friendship and love, making sure your friend is happy
Gentle messages of friendship and love, making sure your friend is happy
November 5, 2023
A cute book about friendship.
February 11, 2024
Zo schattig 🥹
July 25, 2024
Super cute early chapter book.
March 31, 2023
Why do I review the books that I review? There are hundreds upon hundreds of children’s books published every single year here in America and of them I’m lucky if I’m able to review even 45 in a given 365 days. So how do I perform triage on the masses and figure out what’s reviewable? Well, often I can only review those books that have a kind of “hook” to them. Something to chew on that makes for good reviewing. Much of the time I’ll consider books that I feel are important in some way and deserve wider notice. But once in a great while I’ll review a book for a single, solitary, scintillating reason: spite. Spite reviews are rare but they do occur. I don’t write them to spite the book’s creators, though. Often it will be to spite the wider world. For example, in 2022 I learned that My Parents Won’t Stop Talking didn’t get a single star from a review journal. Incensed, I poured my heart and soul into that book’s review. Now I find in 2023 a similar, if slightly different, situation and I cannot stay silent. While I love and adore Kirkus Reviews (and, indeed, I review for them myself) when one of their reviewers gets something wrong they can potentially get it WRONG! And when I read their review of the first book in the new Jarvis penned series “Bear and Bird”, I was on fire. How dare that person impugn the beautiful (and very funny) writing, fantastic art, and honest-to-god heartfelt moments of this new series. Truth be told, I probably would have reviewed Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories on my own anyway, but spite has given me the kick in the pants I needed to do it sooner rather than later. Trust me when I say that after reading this book, my rage over anyone not properly appreciating this book will become your own.
Four little stories of two little friends. Bear and Bird are best friends, actually. In their first story “The Flower”, Bird accidentally gets trapped in a pretty red flower and Bear misunderstands who precisely he’s speaking to. In “The Picnic” Bear and Bird set off for a fun day, and when Bear realizes he’s forgotten all the provisions it’s up to Bird to play along. In “The Painting” Bird comes to realize that Bear is a better painter, and Bear comes to realize that there’s a price to pay for propping up your friend’s ego. Finally in “The Blanket” coziness for one is not half as good as coziness for two.
I’m naturally suspicious of any new children’s book that is compared to classics of the past. Proceed cautiously when you hear anyone say that a book is just like The Westing Game or Where the Wild Things Are or The Snowy Day. To be clear, no one has done this with Bear and Bird that I am aware of. The problem? It’s me. I want to compare it to a classic. And the classic I want to compare it to is none other than the Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel. My reasoning is sound. What was it that Lobel did so well? Essentially, he was capable of making interesting plots and interesting characters with a minimum of words. AND on top of all that, he knew how to make these characters emote on a level that children would understand. Add in the beautiful art of the books and you have yourself a near perfect series (with the possible exception of the “Bathing Suit” story which always struck me as out of place). Each of those little ticked off items also applies to Bear and Bird. The watercolor art is infinitely expressive. The characters trade off who has the moral high ground from story to story. You know these characters too. You both feel for them and understand when others make allowances for them. The wordplay? Succinct. The storytelling? Complex. The entire package? Dee-lightful!
Not to keep harping on it, but the Kirkus review had a couple very specific objections to this book. The review called one of the stories “mean-spirited”. It conceded that the art was nice but, “with characters too often relying on lies to fix their problems.” And to cap it all off it ends with how the book, “Goes too far in avoiding moralistic characters and instead actively endorses bad behavior.” The key here, I think, is that phrase, “Goes too far in avoiding moralistic characters.” Methinks the reviewer here is a bit uncomfortable watching flawed characters in stories that don’t wrap up with succinct little didactic endings. Which completely elides the fact that many of these stories do have little lessons wrapped into them. My favorite story, “The Picnic” does a brilliant job of showing the small ways we make allowances for the people that we love. But the reviewer couldn’t separate the idea that Bird is lying through omission. By not bringing up the fact that Bear forgot everything for their walk, she allows him to think that she didn’t notice his goof. And she, being a kind friend, could not see any benefit to making him unhappy, so she plays along. The idea that this is just a web of tangled lies misses the point entirely. I didn’t, for the record, see the stories Bear told about Bird in “The Flower” as “mean-spirited.” I thought it was a lovely little example of silliness, which kids can recognize. And are characters lying to solve their problems? They don’t call their friends out, true, and sometimes that’s the wrong decision. You know what happens when they make the wrong decisions? Consequences! Very cute, rather adorable, consequences but consequences just the same. Who’s eschewing moralism now?
Easy books/early chapter books straddle a line that avoids easy identification. They can be read as bedtime books to some, and be read by interested kids who have graduated beyond Beginner books and need something more complex (but aren’t ready for out-and-out chapters yet). They are so difficult to find, in fact, that when you spot one in the wild I highly recommend that you grab it as fast as you are humanly able. There’s a reason we rely so heavily on the aforementioned Frog and Toad and it’s as much to do with the books’ brilliance as it is the fact that there are so few seriously well-written books for this reading level out there. So here’s a thought. When you’ve that child that’s read all the Frog and Toads they could get their hands on, and they’ve long since left Elephant & Piggie behind, consider a final friendly pairing. Consider Bear and Bird and all their myriad adventures from the small to the slightly less small but always cozy. Raw charm on the page.
Four little stories of two little friends. Bear and Bird are best friends, actually. In their first story “The Flower”, Bird accidentally gets trapped in a pretty red flower and Bear misunderstands who precisely he’s speaking to. In “The Picnic” Bear and Bird set off for a fun day, and when Bear realizes he’s forgotten all the provisions it’s up to Bird to play along. In “The Painting” Bird comes to realize that Bear is a better painter, and Bear comes to realize that there’s a price to pay for propping up your friend’s ego. Finally in “The Blanket” coziness for one is not half as good as coziness for two.
I’m naturally suspicious of any new children’s book that is compared to classics of the past. Proceed cautiously when you hear anyone say that a book is just like The Westing Game or Where the Wild Things Are or The Snowy Day. To be clear, no one has done this with Bear and Bird that I am aware of. The problem? It’s me. I want to compare it to a classic. And the classic I want to compare it to is none other than the Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel. My reasoning is sound. What was it that Lobel did so well? Essentially, he was capable of making interesting plots and interesting characters with a minimum of words. AND on top of all that, he knew how to make these characters emote on a level that children would understand. Add in the beautiful art of the books and you have yourself a near perfect series (with the possible exception of the “Bathing Suit” story which always struck me as out of place). Each of those little ticked off items also applies to Bear and Bird. The watercolor art is infinitely expressive. The characters trade off who has the moral high ground from story to story. You know these characters too. You both feel for them and understand when others make allowances for them. The wordplay? Succinct. The storytelling? Complex. The entire package? Dee-lightful!
Not to keep harping on it, but the Kirkus review had a couple very specific objections to this book. The review called one of the stories “mean-spirited”. It conceded that the art was nice but, “with characters too often relying on lies to fix their problems.” And to cap it all off it ends with how the book, “Goes too far in avoiding moralistic characters and instead actively endorses bad behavior.” The key here, I think, is that phrase, “Goes too far in avoiding moralistic characters.” Methinks the reviewer here is a bit uncomfortable watching flawed characters in stories that don’t wrap up with succinct little didactic endings. Which completely elides the fact that many of these stories do have little lessons wrapped into them. My favorite story, “The Picnic” does a brilliant job of showing the small ways we make allowances for the people that we love. But the reviewer couldn’t separate the idea that Bird is lying through omission. By not bringing up the fact that Bear forgot everything for their walk, she allows him to think that she didn’t notice his goof. And she, being a kind friend, could not see any benefit to making him unhappy, so she plays along. The idea that this is just a web of tangled lies misses the point entirely. I didn’t, for the record, see the stories Bear told about Bird in “The Flower” as “mean-spirited.” I thought it was a lovely little example of silliness, which kids can recognize. And are characters lying to solve their problems? They don’t call their friends out, true, and sometimes that’s the wrong decision. You know what happens when they make the wrong decisions? Consequences! Very cute, rather adorable, consequences but consequences just the same. Who’s eschewing moralism now?
Easy books/early chapter books straddle a line that avoids easy identification. They can be read as bedtime books to some, and be read by interested kids who have graduated beyond Beginner books and need something more complex (but aren’t ready for out-and-out chapters yet). They are so difficult to find, in fact, that when you spot one in the wild I highly recommend that you grab it as fast as you are humanly able. There’s a reason we rely so heavily on the aforementioned Frog and Toad and it’s as much to do with the books’ brilliance as it is the fact that there are so few seriously well-written books for this reading level out there. So here’s a thought. When you’ve that child that’s read all the Frog and Toads they could get their hands on, and they’ve long since left Elephant & Piggie behind, consider a final friendly pairing. Consider Bear and Bird and all their myriad adventures from the small to the slightly less small but always cozy. Raw charm on the page.
June 9, 2023
You may be familiar with the name Jarvis as an author and illustrator of the most beautiful picturebooks, Walker Books brings us Jarvis’ latest book which is Bear and Bird. The Picnic and Other Stories.
Part picturebook – it is simple txt and full of illustration, this is also the first title in a new chapter book series. The chapters are very short and perfectly suited to the bridging between picturebook and chapter book for young readers ready for a bit more challenge. Bear and Bird are the best of friends, they may not always understand one another but they agree they each want the other to be happy. Bear forgets to pack for a picnic and Bird doesn’t let on she knew. Bear has more of a talent for one thing than bird? Bear finds a way to make her feel better.
A story full of unintentional mix ups and mistakes showing us how good friendships is full of warmth and love. A beautiful message and a charming set of simple stories.
Part picturebook – it is simple txt and full of illustration, this is also the first title in a new chapter book series. The chapters are very short and perfectly suited to the bridging between picturebook and chapter book for young readers ready for a bit more challenge. Bear and Bird are the best of friends, they may not always understand one another but they agree they each want the other to be happy. Bear forgets to pack for a picnic and Bird doesn’t let on she knew. Bear has more of a talent for one thing than bird? Bear finds a way to make her feel better.
A story full of unintentional mix ups and mistakes showing us how good friendships is full of warmth and love. A beautiful message and a charming set of simple stories.
August 26, 2023
Trop mimi. Parfait pour les enfants qui apprennent la lecture et veulent lire eux même (ou en histoire du soir)
October 28, 2023
(3.5) Très mignon mais j’étais pas à fond non plus.
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June 27, 2023See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/bear-a...
BEAR AND BIRD: THE PICNIC AND OTHER STORIES is a collection of four stories in a chapter book-style format. Bear and Bird are best friends, and they love to spend time together. In the first story, Bird accidentally falls into a flower and begins to cry, so when Bear spots a crying flower, he tries to make it feel better by telling it about his silly friend Bird - however, the flower does not like that very much. Eventually, Bird gets out of the flower and lets Bear know he was being silly too. In the second story, Bear has forgotten to pack for their picnic, but he doesn't want to let Bird down, so he lies when she asks if he has brought the things they need. When they arrive at their picnic spot, Bear thinks on the fly to keep up the lie - and when Bird figures it out, she plays along so as not to let him feel bad either. Two additional stories round out this chapter book.
What I loved: This is an overall cute story about friendship and its ups and downs. The stories are gentle and overall pleasant with only some minor hurt feelings along the way, such as when Bird gets jealous of Bear's painting and when she gets upset that she thinks he is blowing her off for a new friend (though it is just a blanket). Each story resolves well by the end, leaving them still as the very best friends.
There are illustrations on each page with color that bring the stories to life. These were really lovely and great for advancing picture book lovers to bridge into an early chapter book like this. The font was also large and clear to aid in independent reading and/or word recognition. The format is great for budding chapter book readers.
What left me wanting more: I struggled with some of the content in that Bear and Bird are frequently lying to each other in the guise of friendship. A bit more honesty would perhaps do their friendship a better service, even if they are kind and thoughtful when being honest. For instance, there was not much reason for Bear to lie about packing all the picnic stuff or forgetting to use the restroom before they set off. The messaging does not seem great for young readers, especially in cases where the understanding of mistakes would have been more poignant than the continued lies.
Final verdict: Overall, BEAR AND BIRD: THE PICNIC AND OTHER STORIES features lovely illustrations and large font that will aid early chapter book readers with stories about friendship. Additional discussions and processing with a caregiver could be helpful to address some of the topics and dishonesty in the stories.
BEAR AND BIRD: THE PICNIC AND OTHER STORIES is a collection of four stories in a chapter book-style format. Bear and Bird are best friends, and they love to spend time together. In the first story, Bird accidentally falls into a flower and begins to cry, so when Bear spots a crying flower, he tries to make it feel better by telling it about his silly friend Bird - however, the flower does not like that very much. Eventually, Bird gets out of the flower and lets Bear know he was being silly too. In the second story, Bear has forgotten to pack for their picnic, but he doesn't want to let Bird down, so he lies when she asks if he has brought the things they need. When they arrive at their picnic spot, Bear thinks on the fly to keep up the lie - and when Bird figures it out, she plays along so as not to let him feel bad either. Two additional stories round out this chapter book.
What I loved: This is an overall cute story about friendship and its ups and downs. The stories are gentle and overall pleasant with only some minor hurt feelings along the way, such as when Bird gets jealous of Bear's painting and when she gets upset that she thinks he is blowing her off for a new friend (though it is just a blanket). Each story resolves well by the end, leaving them still as the very best friends.
There are illustrations on each page with color that bring the stories to life. These were really lovely and great for advancing picture book lovers to bridge into an early chapter book like this. The font was also large and clear to aid in independent reading and/or word recognition. The format is great for budding chapter book readers.
What left me wanting more: I struggled with some of the content in that Bear and Bird are frequently lying to each other in the guise of friendship. A bit more honesty would perhaps do their friendship a better service, even if they are kind and thoughtful when being honest. For instance, there was not much reason for Bear to lie about packing all the picnic stuff or forgetting to use the restroom before they set off. The messaging does not seem great for young readers, especially in cases where the understanding of mistakes would have been more poignant than the continued lies.
Final verdict: Overall, BEAR AND BIRD: THE PICNIC AND OTHER STORIES features lovely illustrations and large font that will aid early chapter book readers with stories about friendship. Additional discussions and processing with a caregiver could be helpful to address some of the topics and dishonesty in the stories.
December 30, 2024
This is such a lovely set of four stories. Bear and Bird are the best of friends and when Bird rings Bear’s doorbell to meet him one morning Bear isn’t ready yet. Waiting for him outside Bird decides to sit on a flower, but she soon falls inside it. When Bear finally comes out of his home, Bird is nowhere to be seen, but there is a flower that seems to be crying so Bear decides to cheer it up. This hardback book is a little bigger than an average paperback in size/height, but is filled with thick glossy pages of illustrations and text.
This book feels like a small picture book with four stories: The Flower, The Picnic, The Painting and The Blanket. Although The Flower is the first story and is a fun one, I actually enjoyed The Picnic much more due to the funny repetition and the way Bear has clearly not prepared for their picnic despite reassuring Bird that he has. The Painting and The Blanket are both brilliant stories too and throughout the course of reading these four tales, which doesn’t take long, you really end up loving both characters and the lovely friendship they have.
The stories wouldn’t be so good without the illustrations that show you both Bird and Bear’s expressions and what they are doing. I love the simple way they look, like a child’s drawing, it makes them feel all the more cute and heart-warming. And if you look more closely at some illustrations like the first one in the story The Blanket, you’ll spot something that is related to a previous story sitting in the background which I thought was a nice touch.
Each of these four tales is good, and although I wasn’t sure about the first story, you really do feel the lovely friendship between these two characters through the stories and adventures they have. They not only have a heart-warming feel to them, but in many places there’s a lot of good humour too, especially when some of the stories have good repetition in them, or specific things I enjoyed include the funny ending to Bear’s good deed in The Painting, and the way The Blanket made me laugh out loud with the constant silliness of what’ s happening with Suzie Woozie (you have to read it to see what I mean!).
Overall this is a lovely set of stories featuring these two great characters which children and adults will come to love and want to read about again and again, and seeing as this is book one, I can’t wait to read more adventures featuring these two!
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy.
This book feels like a small picture book with four stories: The Flower, The Picnic, The Painting and The Blanket. Although The Flower is the first story and is a fun one, I actually enjoyed The Picnic much more due to the funny repetition and the way Bear has clearly not prepared for their picnic despite reassuring Bird that he has. The Painting and The Blanket are both brilliant stories too and throughout the course of reading these four tales, which doesn’t take long, you really end up loving both characters and the lovely friendship they have.
The stories wouldn’t be so good without the illustrations that show you both Bird and Bear’s expressions and what they are doing. I love the simple way they look, like a child’s drawing, it makes them feel all the more cute and heart-warming. And if you look more closely at some illustrations like the first one in the story The Blanket, you’ll spot something that is related to a previous story sitting in the background which I thought was a nice touch.
Each of these four tales is good, and although I wasn’t sure about the first story, you really do feel the lovely friendship between these two characters through the stories and adventures they have. They not only have a heart-warming feel to them, but in many places there’s a lot of good humour too, especially when some of the stories have good repetition in them, or specific things I enjoyed include the funny ending to Bear’s good deed in The Painting, and the way The Blanket made me laugh out loud with the constant silliness of what’ s happening with Suzie Woozie (you have to read it to see what I mean!).
Overall this is a lovely set of stories featuring these two great characters which children and adults will come to love and want to read about again and again, and seeing as this is book one, I can’t wait to read more adventures featuring these two!
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy.
July 17, 2023
Why I chose this book: After reading the Kirkus review for this book, I had to read it for myself.
Brief summary: Bear and Bird are friends, and this short, beginning chapter book has four chapters about their adventures. Each adventure showcases a conflict betweent hem and the ways in which they work around the conflict.
What I didn't like about this book: The aforementioned Kirkus review, and other reviews of this book, mention the less than agreeable choices Bear and Bird make in their friendship. In the 2/4 of these stories, each of them choose to lie to one another, which causes conflict. They then each choose to ignore the lies in favor of keeping each other happy. Perhaps its an unfair comparison, but Frog and Toad are similar books in that they feature friends dealing with day-t0-day conflict, and in thinking about what makes Frog and Toad books so special, it's in large part because the kindness and wisdom of the characters. Bear and Bird, on the other hand, seem to have to placate one another to spend time together, and it would seem that their friendship survives because of this rather than because they can accept one another and be honest about each other's faults at the same time.
What I like about this book: I loved the illustrations, and despite my grief with Bear and Bird's actions, I can imagine this book could highlight important conversations about integrity in friendships with a child and their caregiver, so long as the caregiver stopped to to so.
Brief summary: Bear and Bird are friends, and this short, beginning chapter book has four chapters about their adventures. Each adventure showcases a conflict betweent hem and the ways in which they work around the conflict.
What I didn't like about this book: The aforementioned Kirkus review, and other reviews of this book, mention the less than agreeable choices Bear and Bird make in their friendship. In the 2/4 of these stories, each of them choose to lie to one another, which causes conflict. They then each choose to ignore the lies in favor of keeping each other happy. Perhaps its an unfair comparison, but Frog and Toad are similar books in that they feature friends dealing with day-t0-day conflict, and in thinking about what makes Frog and Toad books so special, it's in large part because the kindness and wisdom of the characters. Bear and Bird, on the other hand, seem to have to placate one another to spend time together, and it would seem that their friendship survives because of this rather than because they can accept one another and be honest about each other's faults at the same time.
What I like about this book: I loved the illustrations, and despite my grief with Bear and Bird's actions, I can imagine this book could highlight important conversations about integrity in friendships with a child and their caregiver, so long as the caregiver stopped to to so.
December 21, 2023
Children's first chapter book. There are several first chapter books, I can read books, or early graphic novels that focus on two buddies. Some of them are more successful than others. Bear and Bird are friends, and this book shares four of their adventures. The first has bird falling into a flower, and then asking bear to help. Bear can't wait to show Bird the talking flower, but of course it stops talking when Bird is there. In the second story the two friends are going on a picnic. Bear was in charge of supplies, but seems to have forgotten everything, including the picnic itself. Bear tries to distract Bird, and Bird suggests going home early. Both friends just want to make the other happy, which is very sweet. Then we have a painting session, where Bird gets frustrated at Bear's quick take to painting, and Bear offers to hang Bird's picture up in his house "But he liked Bird a lot, and it would remind him of her and so, in a way, it was a beautiful painting." In the last story Bear wants to be alone with his blanket, but Bird's persistence gets him invited in.
The illustrations are cute, with simple lines that would be easy for kids to recreate. Many of them are fully separate from the text so they don't interfere with readability, though a few pages have full-page illustrations. Great fun, cute, and one that can be reread.
The illustrations are cute, with simple lines that would be easy for kids to recreate. Many of them are fully separate from the text so they don't interfere with readability, though a few pages have full-page illustrations. Great fun, cute, and one that can be reread.
May 28, 2024
First sentence: Ding-dong! Bear and Bird had a big day planned. Bird was early. "I'll be out in a minute," shouted Bear from his big bed. "I haven't just woken up. I promise!"
Premise/plot: Bear and Bird is the first in a new early chapter book series. Bear and Bird are friends--dear, close friends. However, Bear and Bird have many differences. These short chapters, short stories, are interconnected--loosely. The first two stories are definitely closely related.
The stories/chapters are: "The Flower," "The Picnic," "The Painting," "The Blanket."
My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved, loved this book. The writing is WONDERFUL.
Quotes:
This is from "The Flower" chapter:
"Sorry I'm late!" said Bear. "I thought my feet would move quicker than they did."
This is from the "Picnic" chapter:
"Have you used the bathroom?" said Bird.
"Yes," said Bear.
Bear had not used the bathroom.
"Did you pack the music player?" said Bird.
"Yes," said Bear.
Bear had not packed the music player.
"And the lawn chairs?" said Bird.
"Yes," said Bear.
No lawn chairs either.
"And most importantly--have you packed the picnic?" said Bird.
There was a bit of a pause before Bear said, "Yes, I've packed the picnic."
Bear had not packed the picnic.
Premise/plot: Bear and Bird is the first in a new early chapter book series. Bear and Bird are friends--dear, close friends. However, Bear and Bird have many differences. These short chapters, short stories, are interconnected--loosely. The first two stories are definitely closely related.
The stories/chapters are: "The Flower," "The Picnic," "The Painting," "The Blanket."
My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved, loved this book. The writing is WONDERFUL.
Quotes:
This is from "The Flower" chapter:
"Sorry I'm late!" said Bear. "I thought my feet would move quicker than they did."
This is from the "Picnic" chapter:
"Have you used the bathroom?" said Bird.
"Yes," said Bear.
Bear had not used the bathroom.
"Did you pack the music player?" said Bird.
"Yes," said Bear.
Bear had not packed the music player.
"And the lawn chairs?" said Bird.
"Yes," said Bear.
No lawn chairs either.
"And most importantly--have you packed the picnic?" said Bird.
There was a bit of a pause before Bear said, "Yes, I've packed the picnic."
Bear had not packed the picnic.
June 10, 2024
Bird is waiting for Bear to come out and play when she falls into a flower and can't get out. She's trapped upside down inside the petals! Bear comes out looking for her and thinks he has found a talking flower that keeps yelling for help.
Bird and Bear are going on a picnic. Bear says he has brought the music player, the fold-up chairs, and all the food, but really he has forgotten all those things. He distracts Bird with songs and games and foraged food. Bird pretends not to notice all the missing items, because she doesn't want to hurt Bear's feelings.
Bird and Bear both start to paint, but Bear is much better at it than Bird. Everyone praises Bear's painting, but Bird's painting is not very good. Bird gets sad, until Bear asks if he can hang up Bird's painting in his house!
These stories are so adorable! I love the positive messages of kindness and respect in each little story. This book is perfect for young readers who are just starting to read chapter books on their own. There are pictures on each page, but the story has more sentences than a shorter picture book.
I love the cute illustrations!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
Bird and Bear are going on a picnic. Bear says he has brought the music player, the fold-up chairs, and all the food, but really he has forgotten all those things. He distracts Bird with songs and games and foraged food. Bird pretends not to notice all the missing items, because she doesn't want to hurt Bear's feelings.
Bird and Bear both start to paint, but Bear is much better at it than Bird. Everyone praises Bear's painting, but Bird's painting is not very good. Bird gets sad, until Bear asks if he can hang up Bird's painting in his house!
These stories are so adorable! I love the positive messages of kindness and respect in each little story. This book is perfect for young readers who are just starting to read chapter books on their own. There are pictures on each page, but the story has more sentences than a shorter picture book.
I love the cute illustrations!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
May 4, 2023
A real friend. New string in the author’s bow.
We've read and enjoyed a few of Jarvis's picture books before. And now we've also moved along with him, to a chapter book series my 6 year old can read TO me.
Jarvis's style is recognisable in his pictures, and it's a pleasure to see that like other illustrators (Nick Sharratt, Axel Scheffler), he also has a gift for hitting the 'child voice' on the nose (or snout) and creating short stories that are relatable and charming.
In four short reads, Jarvis brings four mini-adventures to readers, with Bear and Bird, two best friends who sometimes make mistakes, or need encouragement, or understanding. But they always come through for each other. The reader sees what one of them hasn't (oops - Bear forgot the picnic!) and is caught up in the action as they try to smooth things over by being a good friend and not letting things cause problems.
My boy read this fairly smoothly, it's nicely episodic for short spurts or could be read in one bedtime by a parent.
Two lovely characters and an endearing friendship between them.
For ages 4-8.
With thanks to Walker Books for providing a sample reading copy.
We've read and enjoyed a few of Jarvis's picture books before. And now we've also moved along with him, to a chapter book series my 6 year old can read TO me.
Jarvis's style is recognisable in his pictures, and it's a pleasure to see that like other illustrators (Nick Sharratt, Axel Scheffler), he also has a gift for hitting the 'child voice' on the nose (or snout) and creating short stories that are relatable and charming.
In four short reads, Jarvis brings four mini-adventures to readers, with Bear and Bird, two best friends who sometimes make mistakes, or need encouragement, or understanding. But they always come through for each other. The reader sees what one of them hasn't (oops - Bear forgot the picnic!) and is caught up in the action as they try to smooth things over by being a good friend and not letting things cause problems.
My boy read this fairly smoothly, it's nicely episodic for short spurts or could be read in one bedtime by a parent.
Two lovely characters and an endearing friendship between them.
For ages 4-8.
With thanks to Walker Books for providing a sample reading copy.
June 28, 2023
This book is cute, the drawings especially, and the first story was good.
So why the two stars? Because after the first story Bear and Bird, be mostly Bear, spend the whole book LYING to one another in order to spare the others feelings. Bear didn't pack anything he said he packed for their picnic because he wanted to make Bird happy. Bear said he liked Bird's painting but "Bear didn't really like the painting. I mean look at it." Then in the last story Bear doesn't want to move from his blanket so he lies to Bird saying he has important things to do and he isn't hungry, that isn't his stomach rumbling, but some incoming thunder. At least he apologizes for this, then Bear and Bird are all comfy and don't want to move so they lie to Pig about having "Something important. Urgent, in fact." Yeah, no. They just don't want to move or go out. I am all for funny children's books (I can even give you some suggestions), but I couldn't get past this.
Great life lesson for the kiddos! (Btw, this is sarcasm, not lying to spare someone's feelings).
So why the two stars? Because after the first story Bear and Bird, be mostly Bear, spend the whole book LYING to one another in order to spare the others feelings. Bear didn't pack anything he said he packed for their picnic because he wanted to make Bird happy. Bear said he liked Bird's painting but "Bear didn't really like the painting. I mean look at it." Then in the last story Bear doesn't want to move from his blanket so he lies to Bird saying he has important things to do and he isn't hungry, that isn't his stomach rumbling, but some incoming thunder. At least he apologizes for this, then Bear and Bird are all comfy and don't want to move so they lie to Pig about having "Something important. Urgent, in fact." Yeah, no. They just don't want to move or go out. I am all for funny children's books (I can even give you some suggestions), but I couldn't get past this.
Great life lesson for the kiddos! (Btw, this is sarcasm, not lying to spare someone's feelings).
May 4, 2023
Four short chapters chronicle the cozy adventures of friends Bear and Bird. Each episode is a funny example of a well-intentioned misunderstanding. When Bird falls into a flower and asks for help, Bear assumes that the flower can talk. The friends decide to go on a picnic, but Bear forgets the picnic things and the lawn chairs, and neglects to use the bathroom before they set out. Bird diplomatically overlooks Bear’s shortcomings. Bear paints a lovely picture of a tree, but Bird is unhappy with hers. When Bear sees that she is dejected about it, Bear tells her how much he loves it.
Jarvis’s charming digital art is rendered in a naïve style, showing the two friends and the animal denizens in the forest where they live with simple shapes and in warm, mid-range colors. The language is a bit more complex than most early readers – I think it would be a lovely read aloud and a good conversation starter on honesty in friendship.
Jarvis’s charming digital art is rendered in a naïve style, showing the two friends and the animal denizens in the forest where they live with simple shapes and in warm, mid-range colors. The language is a bit more complex than most early readers – I think it would be a lovely read aloud and a good conversation starter on honesty in friendship.
July 31, 2023
Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories is a children's first reading book by Jarvis and features four short stories all featuring friends Bear and Bird.
The first story, The Flower, sees Bird fall into a flower and Bear unable to find his friend. The second story, The Picnic sees the friends heading out for the day but Bear forgets to bring the picnic. The third, The Painting, sees the friends painting a tree but one painting is far better than the other. The last story, The Blanket, sees Bear snuggled under his blanket and not wanting to do anything for the day.
Each short story is relaxing and has beautiful crayon-style drawings to accompany the words. I love how close the two friends are and how they are there for one another and put up with the other one's little issues.
This book would be a great start from moving on from young readers' books to something that looks and feels more grown up. A fab read and I'm sure children will love meeting Bear and Bird.
The first story, The Flower, sees Bird fall into a flower and Bear unable to find his friend. The second story, The Picnic sees the friends heading out for the day but Bear forgets to bring the picnic. The third, The Painting, sees the friends painting a tree but one painting is far better than the other. The last story, The Blanket, sees Bear snuggled under his blanket and not wanting to do anything for the day.
Each short story is relaxing and has beautiful crayon-style drawings to accompany the words. I love how close the two friends are and how they are there for one another and put up with the other one's little issues.
This book would be a great start from moving on from young readers' books to something that looks and feels more grown up. A fab read and I'm sure children will love meeting Bear and Bird.
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