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Bear and Mole
Spring is Here: A Bear and Mole Story
Mole can smell that spring is in the air, but Bear is still asleep after his long winter nap!
Excitedly he taps on the window and knocks on the door-- he even tries playing a trumpet to wake his friend so they can celebrate together. But Bear keeps snoozing.
But Mole is determined, so he milks and gathers and bakes a special springtime surprise for his friend-- the perfect way to wake up!
A perfect read-aloud, full of simple sound-words and lots of repetition, Spring is Here is ideal to share with young readers to celebrate the changing of the seasons. Cozy mixed-media illustrations of big, fuzzy, dozing bear and his eager mole friend add detail and humor to the tale.
Don't miss the other Bear and Mole adventures-- First Star, All For a Dime, Off We Go!, and Kite Day.
Excitedly he taps on the window and knocks on the door-- he even tries playing a trumpet to wake his friend so they can celebrate together. But Bear keeps snoozing.
But Mole is determined, so he milks and gathers and bakes a special springtime surprise for his friend-- the perfect way to wake up!
A perfect read-aloud, full of simple sound-words and lots of repetition, Spring is Here is ideal to share with young readers to celebrate the changing of the seasons. Cozy mixed-media illustrations of big, fuzzy, dozing bear and his eager mole friend add detail and humor to the tale.
Don't miss the other Bear and Mole adventures-- First Star, All For a Dime, Off We Go!, and Kite Day.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published February 7, 2011
2 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
About the author
Will Hillenbrand
94 books103 followersWill Hillenbrand is an American children's book author and illustrator who has worked on over seventy books for young people. Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, he was influenced by the stories he heard in his father's barbershop growing up. After taking a class in picture-book art while in art school, he decided to pursue a career in children's literature, combining his love of storytelling with his love of illustration. He lives in Terrace Park, Ohio with his wife, Jane, and their son, Ian.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
March 21, 2018
If you want someone to get out of bed for the love of god make them breakfast first -- great lesson.
March 19, 2014
There are some great opportunities for talking with kids in this book: "do not disturb" sign--talk about what this means and why bear doesn't want to be disturbed. With my groups, we'd talked about hibernation a couple months prior so I tried to see if they remembered the word before telling them. Also, they can learn what churning is. I also asked them questions about what mole was making, why was he making food, which leads into info that bears are really hungry in the spring when they wake up. When mole brings the food into bear's room I always ask if they think food is going to work to wake bear up. And then we talk about why mole is tired.
Extension activity: Have kids tell or write a story about how bear wakes up mole.
Extension activity: Have kids tell or write a story about how bear wakes up mole.
April 18, 2020
Spring Is Here by William Hillenbrand is a picture book about hibernation. Once spring arrives, mole crawls out of his house and realizes that bear is still awake. Mole runs back inside to wake up bear, but bear does not budge. Mole does everything he can to wake up bear because it is spring, but bear still won't wake up. It isn't until mole spends the day gathering food items and making pancakes for bear that he finally wakes up. However, the exhaustion from gathering and cooking made mole so tired that he falls back asleep and now bear must wake him up!
This fun story is great for young readers. It teaches children a little about hibernation, such as that bears and moles both partake in it and they wake at spring. The one critique I have for this book is that it could go more into depth about hibernation, such as when they go into hibernation and why. However, this is a great introduction to hibernation.
The illustrations were fun and colorful. The author personified the characters, making it more engaging for young readers.
Overall, I give this book a 4/5.
This fun story is great for young readers. It teaches children a little about hibernation, such as that bears and moles both partake in it and they wake at spring. The one critique I have for this book is that it could go more into depth about hibernation, such as when they go into hibernation and why. However, this is a great introduction to hibernation.
The illustrations were fun and colorful. The author personified the characters, making it more engaging for young readers.
Overall, I give this book a 4/5.
April 6, 2018
Looking at Hillenbrand's Goodreads page just now made me realize that Mole and Bear are characters in a series of books. I'll have to look for some of the others at the library, because my 3-year-old daughter really enjoyed this one. She grabbed it from the Spring display at the library and we read it together before leaving the children's area, then brought it home for more bedtime reading. She gets a big kick out of Bear snoring away and by our second time through she was saying "Snore!" at the appropriate moments right along with me. She also thinks the illustrations are "adorable" (her word, not mine! :-)).
April 16, 2020
Mole was excited that Spring had finally arrived. He was so excited that he smelt the air, felt the mud under his feet, and he was so eager to tell Bear. Throughout the story, Mole does everything to get Bear up so that he can see that Spring is here. He decided to go outside and create a wonderful meal for Bear. When Bear finally got up Mole was too tired to do anything. This book made me laugh because I felt that my sister goes through the same routine with her kids. She can never wake them up with "Good morning its time to wake up!" So, this was fun to make that connection and I loved the illustrations and the different fonts and colors the words were printed in.
August 6, 2018
The unexpected ending of this story makes it an endearing read-aloud to share with young listeners/readers. The simplistic illustrations and sparse text are well-paired, making this a nice selection to feature during storytimes set during the change of seasons.
January 13, 2011
This book has MR. SCHU IS GOING TO LOVE IT written all over it. A bear, a mole, an adorable story of friendship--what more do I need? Maybe a mouse? ;)
January 29, 2022
It was cute enough, but didn't hold Baby's attention for more than one read. Bear and Mole were fun and cute tho.
March 2, 2020
(Evaluation first, Synopsis below)
Evaluation: This is a charming book. Children can identify with the theme of trying to get someone to wake up in the morning, and they will be rooting for the mole to wake up the bear as the story is told. They will undoubtedly feel bad for the mole by the end of the book, since he ends up sleeping because of how tired he is after trying to wake up the bear. At the end of the book, when I asked my child if the bear should 1) save some of his pancake breakfast for the mole, or 2) make a completely new breakfast for the mole to wake up to, she chose #2.
The illustrations of the scenes match what is being told in the story. The illustrations use a wide array of color, and they are fuzzy rather than sharp. The story can be read aloud without the need to change the language or modify the phrasing. The book can be read in about 5-10 minutes, depending on the number of interruptions you get (regarding the effectiveness of the mole's strategies to get bear up, or concerns about the mole's well-being instead of the bear's).
Synopsis: A mole and a bear live together. Mole gets excited because spring is here, but bear doesn't want to wake up. Mole tries a few things to wake bear up, like tickling his nose with a feather and playing the trumpet in bear's room. But nothing works. Finally, mole figures out how to wake bear up. He goes out and gathers eggs, milk, and churns some of the milk into butter. He proceeds to make a big breakfast for the bear. He brings it into the bear's bedroom and the bear finally wakes up to the smell of pancakes, muffins, and orange juice. But now the mole is so tired from trying to wake the bear up all morning that he falls asleep, unable to enjoy the breakfast-in-bed that he prepared for the bear.
Evaluation: This is a charming book. Children can identify with the theme of trying to get someone to wake up in the morning, and they will be rooting for the mole to wake up the bear as the story is told. They will undoubtedly feel bad for the mole by the end of the book, since he ends up sleeping because of how tired he is after trying to wake up the bear. At the end of the book, when I asked my child if the bear should 1) save some of his pancake breakfast for the mole, or 2) make a completely new breakfast for the mole to wake up to, she chose #2.
The illustrations of the scenes match what is being told in the story. The illustrations use a wide array of color, and they are fuzzy rather than sharp. The story can be read aloud without the need to change the language or modify the phrasing. The book can be read in about 5-10 minutes, depending on the number of interruptions you get (regarding the effectiveness of the mole's strategies to get bear up, or concerns about the mole's well-being instead of the bear's).
Synopsis: A mole and a bear live together. Mole gets excited because spring is here, but bear doesn't want to wake up. Mole tries a few things to wake bear up, like tickling his nose with a feather and playing the trumpet in bear's room. But nothing works. Finally, mole figures out how to wake bear up. He goes out and gathers eggs, milk, and churns some of the milk into butter. He proceeds to make a big breakfast for the bear. He brings it into the bear's bedroom and the bear finally wakes up to the smell of pancakes, muffins, and orange juice. But now the mole is so tired from trying to wake the bear up all morning that he falls asleep, unable to enjoy the breakfast-in-bed that he prepared for the bear.
picture-books
August 5, 2022Storytimes: 16 ages 4-5, 63 ages 0-5
Book one (3-4 minutes): Spring is Here by Will Hillenbrand
Song/rhyme/game one (3-4 minutes): The Little Green Frog Action Rhyme
mmm-Ah went the little green frog one day *Stick out tongue on “ah*
mmm-Ah went the little green frog *Stick out tongue on “ah*
mmm-Ah went the little green frog one day *Stick out tongue on “ah*
and his eyes went mmm-Ah too. *Close then open eyes wide along with sticking out tongue on “mmm-Ah*
Honk Honk, went the big red truck one day *Honk truck horn*
Squish squish went the little green frog *Rub hand together, right hand on top then left on “squish squish*
And his eyes don’t goo mmm-Ah anymore *Close then open eyes wide along with sticking out tongue on “mmm-Ah*
Cause he got licked up by a dog Arf ARf. *Bring hand up to make little dog ears on “arf arf”*
Book two (3-4 minutes): Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Song/rhyme/game two (3-4 minutes): What’s Your favorite Color- Super Simple Songs with scarves. if kids have that color scarf have them jump or something.
Book three (3-4 minutes): There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover by Lucille Colandro
Song/ rhyme/ game three (3-4 minutes):Leprechauns are Marching by KiBoomers
Book Four (3-4 minutes): Ten Lucky Leprechauns by Kathryn Heling
Special Signs: spring, rainbow, green, gold, leprechaun
Activity: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/im...
Book one (3-4 minutes): Spring is Here by Will Hillenbrand
Song/rhyme/game one (3-4 minutes): The Little Green Frog Action Rhyme
mmm-Ah went the little green frog one day *Stick out tongue on “ah*
mmm-Ah went the little green frog *Stick out tongue on “ah*
mmm-Ah went the little green frog one day *Stick out tongue on “ah*
and his eyes went mmm-Ah too. *Close then open eyes wide along with sticking out tongue on “mmm-Ah*
Honk Honk, went the big red truck one day *Honk truck horn*
Squish squish went the little green frog *Rub hand together, right hand on top then left on “squish squish*
And his eyes don’t goo mmm-Ah anymore *Close then open eyes wide along with sticking out tongue on “mmm-Ah*
Cause he got licked up by a dog Arf ARf. *Bring hand up to make little dog ears on “arf arf”*
Book two (3-4 minutes): Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Song/rhyme/game two (3-4 minutes): What’s Your favorite Color- Super Simple Songs with scarves. if kids have that color scarf have them jump or something.
Book three (3-4 minutes): There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover by Lucille Colandro
Song/ rhyme/ game three (3-4 minutes):Leprechauns are Marching by KiBoomers
Book Four (3-4 minutes): Ten Lucky Leprechauns by Kathryn Heling
Special Signs: spring, rainbow, green, gold, leprechaun
Activity: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/im...
April 24, 2020
Genre: informational grade: 1-3
I think this is such a cute and interesting way to introduce kids to the idea of hibernation. This teaches kids all about animals in hibernation through the use of a very cute story. It is different than the normal textbook exclamations because it introduces kids to hibernation while still giving them that unique story and entertainment. Definitely a great addition to a classroom!
I think this is such a cute and interesting way to introduce kids to the idea of hibernation. This teaches kids all about animals in hibernation through the use of a very cute story. It is different than the normal textbook exclamations because it introduces kids to hibernation while still giving them that unique story and entertainment. Definitely a great addition to a classroom!
May 20, 2020
Mole and Bear are a pair of friends who love together in the forest. One day Mole wakes up and noticed it must be spring thanks to signs like the mud outside. He tries to wake bear but it takes some time, and a lot of energy! Cute story to share with toddlers about what they might notice in the works as spring begins, as well as a tiny bit of cooking, with nice language throughout. Cute pictures as well.
October 28, 2025
This book used different colors for action words such as snore, knock, swish, and other words throughout. The diffeent colors make the words stand out as different actions/sounds that the reader can do or make when reading aloud to a child. This makes the book more engaging and easier to follow along.
May 4, 2020
A very cute book about a bear being asleep and a mole trying to wake the bear up so the bear doesn't miss Spring. The illustrations are adorable and I love the little mole and all the things the mole does. Precious.
April 29, 2021
Friendship, hibernation, snoring- Mole wakes up in the spring, but Bear is still sleeping and snoring. What will Mole do? Nice for a preschool storytime. There is some nice repetition for the kids to catch on to.
March 19, 2025
Simple story where Mole wakes up and finds out it is spring. Will he find a way to wake up his best friend, Bear? I love how the bear always replies with "snore." It was fun to get the storytime children to "read" this part together.
June 15, 2025
This is not my first book in this series, but my favorite so far. I have only read 2 books but still. If I find another book from this, I will gladly read it. I also think it's a great one to read to kids so go ahead, I'm sure they will like it.
September 15, 2017
It was okay. The story is light with no heavy moral. Two friends wake from a long winter's nap. But there is some neat potential for a storytime read.
February 27, 2018
A cute story of a mole trying to wake his hibernating bear friend for Spring. Lively illustrations. A funny ending. 2-4 year old recommended.
July 5, 2019
This book tells the sweet story of mole who is determined to get bear awake for the coming spring and bear is quite reluctant to do so.
July 21, 2019
This book is no way a "Snore"! Love it!
July 21, 2019
Oh Bear!
It is hard to wake up.
It is hard to wake up.
March 13, 2020
Simple text. Would be good to start teaching about hibernation.
Want to read
April 20, 2020
April 24, 2020
A busy Mole and a sleepy Bear.
Or is it the other way around?
Or is it the other way around?
Read
May 8, 2020This was a good book to add to my spring text set!
May 22, 2021
Bear and mole wake up to spring or at least one of them does and the other works really hard to wake his friend up. Preschool and up
December 11, 2021
What a great book
March 1, 2022
Short. I was hoping for more in this story.
February 1, 2023
A cute book to start talking about spring, with the added plus of action words to get the toddlers interacting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews