Walker Sailor Bear

Small bear is lost and does not know what to do. He thinks and thinks and he looks at his sailor suit and he decides to be a sailor and sail on the sea. He makes a boat from some pieces of wood and he finds a sea small enough for a small bear and he sails off by the light of the moon. But the sea grows too rough and Bear's boat rocks and rolls and shatters and sinks. Small Bear is shipwrecked on the shore and lies shivering and cold, until next morning when a small girl finds him. She hugs him and takes him home and sets him by the fire to dry. Now Small Bear knows what to do. He'll stay where he is with his new friend and never go to sea again. Martin Waddell has also written "Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?" (winner of the 1988 Smarties Book Prize and Kate Greenaway Medal), "The Park in the Dark" (1989 Emil/Kurt Maschler Award), "Rosie's Babies" (1990 Best Books for Babies Award), "Farmer Duck" (1991 Smarties book Prize), "Let's go Home, Little Bear", "The Tough Princess", "The Hidden House", "Once There Were Giants", "The Happy Hedgehog", "Squeak-A-Lot" and "The Pig in the Pond". Virginia Miller has also illustrated "Squeak-A-Lot" (runner-up for the Mother Goose award), "On Your Potty!", "Eat Your Dinner!" and "Get Into Bed!". Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly Sporting a sailor suit and straw boater, Small Bear wanders through the cobblestone streets of a seaside village. Looking down at his suit, the lost and lonely fellow decides to set sail on a "small sea" in a homemade boat. When a storm destroys his vessel, the beached bruin, pathetically curled up by a rock, "went sadly to sleep all alone." Young listeners need not worry: seasoned storyteller Waddell gives his endearing tale a happy ending. A girl and her dog happen upon the soggy sailor, and bring him home to dry by the fire, where the lovable, newly converted landlubber opts to stay forever. A pale palette and soft lines distinguish Austin's full-page paintings, which are as polished and gentle as Waddell's prose. A classic, comforting bedtime story. Ages 2-up. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From School Library Journal PreSchool-- A teddy named Small Bear, ``who was lost and had no one to play with,'' wonders what to do and, inspired by his sailor suit, builds a boat and goes to sea. Since he has a small boat, he needs a small sea, and finds one in the park. When a storm comes up, he is shipwrecked on the rocks, where he is discovered by a little girl who takes him home. There he decides, a la ``Corduroy,'' that ``I'm FOUND, and I have someone to play with, so I'll stay where I am!'' The simple, rhythmic text is accompanied by pencil and wash illustrations that convincingly show Small Bear's curiosity and perseverance. An additional purchase for active picture book collections. --Caroline Parr, Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Fredericksburg, VA Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.