Old Man Winter was up in the cloudy sky puffing up his big cheeks to puff a breeze down toward the earth to tell the brown bear, "Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep." Well, the bear was reaching for a bee's nest in a leafless tree as the other critters of the forest looked at him. Of course the bear didn't hear very well and thought Old Man winter was telling him something about driving a jeep. He put his paw to his chin and looked a bit perplexed as he glanced over at a campground. There was a jeep and as soon as he hopped in it . . . well, let's just say you've never seen campers run so fast. Even the raccoons, who were stealing bread, didn't hang around long.
Old Man Winter tried again, saying, "Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep." Gee, now the old man wanted him to sweep so Bear headed for a cottage to do just that. When everything was neat as a pin, Bear heard that voice again, but this time he thought it was saying, "Leap, Big Bear, leap." "So big Bear found a frog he knew / and played leapfrog while the cold wind blew- / till all at once he fell to the ground. / The wind through the trees was the only sound, / and Old Man Winter said with a frown, / `Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep.'" And so he glanced over the moonlit pond at the moose and a frog and a rabbit stood by his side. Dive deep it was. Was Bear ever going to understand just what Old Man Winter was trying to tell him?
This big old hard of hearing Bear will tickle the funny bones of young and old alike. From the first page to the last everyone will be smiling at the antics of this big goofy bear who misinterprets what Old Man Winter is trying to tell him. The gorgeous artwork captures the slightly daffy, mystified look on Bear's face perfectly. When bear is contemplating doing something, Old Man Winter has supposedly told him to do the reader knows that when the page is turned there will be a big comical surprise waiting. If you can read in an animated tone of voice, this would be a fun book to read during circle or story time . . . be prepared for a lot of giggling!
