Bear in the Air

by Susan Meyers, Amy June Bates (Illustrator)

When a teddy bear is lost by the child who loves him, the bear begins an amazing journey to get back home again. From swimming in the ocean with the fish, to flying in the sky with the gulls, to being found by a sailor, and then being carried off by the wind, the bear meets new friends and travels to many places he never dreamed of.

Reminiscent of such classics as The Velveteen Rabbit and the award-winning Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, this tender picture book with beautiful seaside imagery will capture readers’ hearts with the bear’s summer adventure as he gets back home where he belongs.
 
Also available by Susan Meyers Praise for Puppies! Puppies! Puppies!
 
[STAR] “The rhyme shows the simplicity Meyers employs in a text so well structured that almost any adult (or new reader) can prance through with natural, bouncy enthusiasm.” —Booklist, starred review


Also available by Amy Bates Praise for The Dog Who Belonged to No One
 
[STAR] “The pencil and watercolor illustrations, featuring a palette of golden earth tones, echo the gentle sentiment of the narrative.” —School Library Journal, starred review
 
[STAR] “Careful parallel storytelling and beautifully paced page turns allow both text and illustrations to develop the characters, establishing both worth and loneliness.” —Kirkus, starred review
 


F&P level: K
F&P genre: RF

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Adventure, Childrens, Fiction, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2010

About the author

Susan Meyers is the author of the poetry collection Keep and Give Away (University of South Carolina Press, 2006), selected by Terrance Hayes for the SC Poetry Book Prize. It also won the 2007 Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) Book Award for Poetry and the NC Poetry Society's Brockman-Campbell Book Award."

Reviews

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm back and forth on this book. The pictures are enjoyable to look at--such expression and a bit of run-on humor, too. The story is gentle (even with its adventures) and has a happy resolved ending. But I am the child who was deathly afraid of losing her toys. And honestly, what do I mean "was?" My heart still cries and wonders over what happened to the original Fluffy and Chocolate--and I still miss them. Stories like these want to send me into the panic I would feel over the fear of losing my toys. Because in my real world, those toys never came back.

So, while it is such a nice, easy read, the deep-down fear of losing toys has me hesitate to recommend this to a child who may harbor the same fear.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book about the adventures of almost teddy bear. I thought the rhyming was great.

[Rykki · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids love this story. The pictures are beautiful. The journey of the bear is fun to read.

[Maeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

A child loses their teddy bear...while the child goes home with their mother, the bear goes on a journey, over land, under water, and high in the sky...until they are reunited!

A cumulative tale (similar to This is the House that Jack Built) with beautiful illustrations.

Storytime:
Toys & Stuffed Animals

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rhyming story in which a child drops a teddy bear and the bear gets tossed about, into the ocean and out to sea! Comes home safe and sound at the end. Potential storytime themes: teddy bears, anything summer or beachy, possibly ocean

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet book.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit long for very young readers

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute book. Loved the little adventure the bear went on.

[Launna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhyming story of a lost and found bear.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a relatively simple book, but with a lot of adventure and a happy ending. There are not too many words, and the illustrations are lovely as well. Really, an all-around good book.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rhyme scheme follow the pattern of "This is the house that Jack built", so rhythm can be established easily and the pictures are really cute.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

That bear probably needs a loooong soak in the washing machine before giving it back to the baby. Just saying.

[Lesley Dahlseng · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes us on a journey of a lost toy when a little stuffed bear bounces from a stroller. This is quite devastating for the toddler to whom it belonged. Though his mother's search for the bear is unsuccessful, a passing dog manages to find the bear and this is where the adventure begins! From sandy shore to ocean deep, then to a front-beak seat high in the air, the bear's travels eventually land it on a clothes' line along the pathway of our original two strollers. All anxieties are settled, just as bear settles in where it should be: "Tucked in safe so it won't bounce away, this is the bear that's come home to stay."

I absolutely love this book! The eye-catching cover should have clued me in to Amy Bates' skill, but every page still manages to bring an element of surprise for me . . . surprise that my hope for wonder is continually met. I get torn between the desire to admire the page I am on and the excitement to see what artwork lies ahead in the coming pages. It is a visual treat. Of course, this level of creative variety should be attributed also to the unique literary design of Susan Meyers, who pulls off constant setting changes and character introductions. . . and in rhyme to top it off! Clever, oh-so-clever!

[Gail Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every youngster who loves or has loved a toy animal, specifically a teddy bear will relate to this imaginative story with a happy ending. Susan Meyers relates her tale in easy to understand rhyme, beginning with "This is the bear that went for a ride. Bounced from the stroller. How baby cried!"

As it happens Mother was pushing her baby and his beloved teddy bear in a stroller along a boardwalk when ooops! the bear did fall from the stroller. Of course, Mother looked everywhere but couldn't find it.

Little did she or anyone else know that the bear was in for the adventure of a lifetime. First, a dog found him and did what dogs are apt to do - shook him, tossed him about, and carried him to the beach at the very edge of the sea. Next we read, "This is the wave that came rushing in. Taking the bear for a watery spin."

At this point youngsters may have fun wondering and guessing what could happen to the bear after that.

The teddy bear's journey is illustrated in beautiful pastels by Amy Bates who also did the artwork for The Dog Who Belonged To No One.

- Gail Cooke

[Mariamawit Habtamu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a fun story with rhyming words. Children can follow the story by looking at the pictures. It is about a Bear that got lost and ends up meeting new people in many different places, like in the water, with sea animals. He is finally found by a sailor and by a kind lady that hangs him to dry. He then comes home to a familiar place to be tucked and safe by the baby so it won’t happen again.


Learning Experience
We will read this book then come up with our own rhyming words. We will also learn about the ocean and sea animals, such as seals, crabs, fishes as well as the different things that are around the ocean. Children will also look at different types of shells and separate them by size.

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I planned by teddy bear themed story time, the book I initially wanted to read was Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear by Michael Hague, but when I couldn’t get my hands on that one in time, I ended up hunting down a different teddy bear book. After skimming a few, I settled on Bear in the Air, which shares the adventure a teddy bear goes on after it falls out of a stroller, and how that adventure leads it right back to its baby who dropped it at the beginning of the book. While it may not have been the book I initially wanted to read for this story time, I am happy to have found and read this book because it is a sweet adventure story accompanied by wonderful illustrations... Read the full review here

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Themes: bear, travel, losing something,

With a storytelling feel, this picture book would be a good read for older preschool, early elementary with a reading of the book, and then a recounting of the events - narrative skills development. Maybe have a flannel board with the various adventures to which one would add as the story is read, then the group could go back and "retell" the story. Children could add/try to remember the details from book during the retelling. Children can relate to a favorite thing/toy/security and maybe share what their's is/was.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun-loving text and charming, old-fashioned illustrations will delight young readers who follow the adventures of this little teddy bear who is unlucky enough to bounce out of his baby's arms but lucky enough to find some amazing friends who help him find his way by sea and air back to where he should be. Just enough suspense to keep young readers turning the pages as they read or listen to the tale, giggle, and then hug their own teddies very, very tightly. A winner!

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun story to read aloud, with a rhythmic and rhyming narrative and soft, old-fashioned pastel illustrations. Our girls loved looking at the pictures and searching for the little crab on each page. Most children, I'm sure, can relate to the experience of losing a treasured toy or "lovey" (at least ours can!) And this story, while not entirely realistic, shows a heartwarming reunion between child and toy.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet rhyming story with lovely pictures! A teddy bear falls out of baby's carriage as baby and Mom go for a seaside stroll, and goes on adventures up in the air and under the sea. The rhyming text reminded me of "This is the House that Jack Built." "This is the wave that came rushing in" and "This is the seal that popped up to see." The ending is not a surprise, but is charming nonetheless.

[Sunnyvale Librarian]

Bear's adventure begins when he bounces out of Baby's carriage and lands under a lemonade cart on the beach boardwalk. He's found and lost by a dog, a sailor, a seal and a pelican who drops Bear into a lady's yard where he is pinned to the clothesline to dry out after all of his escapades. Baby and mother walk by the clothesline and are delighted and surprised to find Bear. This tale told in rhyming couplets is a delight to read aloud.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy in his carriage loses his bear as he and his mother stroll the boardwalk. Now bear is off on seaside as well as ocean adventures and yes, the adventures land him safely back into the boy's arms. Great illustrations and great encounters with ocean creatures. Even the sea creatures have young innocent faces.

[Josie B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good for ages 2-5 years. Rhyming text supports phonological awareness. The plot's level of suspense is just right for this age. For 2s, pair with the Giant Pop-out Ocean or I Spy Under the Sea by Edward Gibbs for an under the sea storytime. With older children consider How will We Get to the Beach by Brigitte Luciani or Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea by Jan Peck.

[Donalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the spirit of There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly, this circular story follows a bear who is lost at the beach and his adventures. A sweet story for young readers or anyone who has lost a beloved toy.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. In fact, we got it from the library, but I'm thinking of purchasing it. The illustrations are precious and I love the rhyming text. The end of the book gives a great opportunity to practice recall and retell.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations and the story work well together, and make this a simple and fun story about a teddy bear going on a trip, but I think they should have used a different font to distinguish the text. It clashes with the tone of the tale and the illustrations.

[C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming illustrations with brief, rhyming text made this an excellent read aloud for my under one-year-old. The story deals with losing a toy, but is resolved in a happy way.

We will definitely be checking this out from the library again.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the illustrations! We were smitten by the very first page. Fabulous little rhyming story, with an adventurous yet homey moral.
Adorable. We found ourselves saying "awww," with every turn of the page. Great details, extras, and fun concepts woven throughout.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet and delightful! This is a lovely, lovely picture book, and if I had younger kids I would want to own this one. I believe I ordered it from library because it was a Cybils finalist in picture books.

[Joey Hines · Rating 2 out of 5]

Used in family storytime on 1/18. The story of a bear who falls out of baby's hands, takes a trip out to sea, through the sky, and back again. A bit long but interesting enough to keep kids' attentions. Cool repetitive structure that helps keep them focused.