The Hide-and-Scare Bear: (BRUBAKER FORD)

There once lived a naughty and mischievous bear who liked playing a game he called "Hide and Scare". Then along came Rabbit, who offered advice - a short rabbit lesson on how to be nice. But can a little rabbit show a big bear that there is a kinder way to play?

About the Author :
Ivan Bates gained an Illustration degree at Manchester. He has illustrated many books for authors such as Sam McBratney, Judy Hindley, Lisa Wheeler and Alexander McCall-Smith and has also written a few his own, including The Hide-and-Scare Bear. He lives in rural Norfolk with his wife, two sons, one noisy puppy and two cats that insist on disturbing him by always sitting on his artwork or keyboard while he's trying to work. He also plays the piano and accordion very, very badly.

Review :
In the leafy forest, a friendly group of animals live in harmony. One animal though isn't quite like the others. He's a big brash and loud bear who likes nothing better than playing his favourite game, Hide and Scare. This bear is quite impolite too. Never a please or thank-you or excuse me. He's turning the animals into nervous wrecks so what can be done? The animals have a huge meeting and decide that something must be done - but what? Bear is so much bigger than they are - but one rabbit comes up with a plan. She knows just how to solve this big hairy beary problem! Perhaps a big bear hug will help! We love a moral tale that doesn't read like one, and we truly love any book that encourages children to follow Rabbit's lead in this story, be a bit nicer and make the world a better place (but hey, hide and scare still looks like a huge amount of fun!) A rambunctious bear thinks it is fun to scare all the other animals. Bear has horrible manners. None of the other woodland creatures want to be around him. He makes a mess when he eats, he is terribly rude, and worst of all, his favorite game is the aptly named Hide and Scare. "He would creep up on others / and count up to three... // then jump out with a ROAR! / from behind a tall tree." The forest animals can't take it anymore. Someone needs to stand up to Bear. But who? A tiny, white rabbit hops forward and proposes kindness instead of anger. "Maybe this bear's / not as bad as you say. / He's just never been shown / the kind way to play." After a lecture and a page turn (and with Rabbit's paws cuddled around Bear's nose), Bear suddenly becomes someone who would rather hug than scare. It's a quick resolution with not much motivation for change, but hopefully it may be a conversation starter on how to negotiate play situations with a youngster who is having difficulty. The anapestic meter holds up in most places and makes for a jaunty read, although the typesetting does not always guide readers through the verse as helpfully as it should. Though a bit pat, the book addresses an important social skill for the very young.