Author/Illustrator: Paula Winter
Publisher: Crown Publishers, 1976
Age: 4-7
Themes: bears, disaster, wordless picturebook
Summary: (from my library’s catalog) A bear tries to catch a fly with disastrous results.
I like this book because: It’s a book we would likely not see published today, which is a shame. Kids understand how one family member’s distractions, weaknesses, and faults affect the whole family and may well be able to identify, and also see the foolishness and humor in obsessions. The illustration style is still highly attractive and effective today. I also love the handy size: 5.5”x7”
Resources/Activities: Study wordless picturebooks; how do artists what to draw to move a story forwards and create a page turner without text?; consider other solutions for this family – how could this story have ended differently? Watch the video at the bottom of the post.
julie rowan-zoch 