Book picks similar to
About a Bear by Holly Surplice


picture-books
bears
animals
storytime

Just a Duck?


Carin Bramsen - 2015
    Now that Cat has learned to play games that Duck enjoys, it’s Duck’s turn to try things that Cat likes. However, climbing trees and swatting at leaves prove to be a bit tricky for flat-footed Duck. What’s an unlikely pair of friends to do?"Outstanding." - School Library Journal"Sweet, tender and delightful." - Kirkus Reviews"A gently funny story of the differences, similarities, and compromises that make for rewarding friendships" - Publishers Weekly

Tanka Tanka Skunk!


Steve Webb - 2003
    When you say their names together, they sound like drums!"Steve Webb's innovative and visually stunning picture book introduces young readers to simple rhythms with this riot of shout-out-loud words and cavorting animals. TANKA TANKA SKUNK! makes reading tons of fun as the text and the illustrations leap and dance across the pages.

Three Little Kittens


Paul Galdone - 1986
    The three little kittens may be a bit irresponsible, but they always manage to correct their mistakes in this favorite classic tale. The kittens' dramatic displays of regret, as well as their sincere efforts to get into their mother's good graces—and taste her scrumptious-looking pie!—will delight readers young and old.

Aliens in Underpants Save the World


Claire Freedman - 2009
    Can our crazy aliens save planet Earth and secure their pants supply forever more?

Horrible Bear!


Ame Dyckman - 2016
    He's not horrible! But now he's upset, too--upset enough to come up with a truly Horrible Bear idea. In this charming but goofy picture book, readers will learn all about tempers, forgiveness, and friendship as Bear prepares to live up to his formerly undeserved reputation while the little girl realizes that maybe--just maybe--Bear isn't as horrible as she thought.

Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?


Susan A. Shea - 2011
    School Library Journal declared it "a standout concept book [that's] engaging, fun . . . and a favorite for storytimes or one-on-one settings." (App also available.)

Sitting in My Box


Dee Lillegard - 1989
    —School Library Journal

Who Has These Feet?


Laura Hulbert - 2011
    Illustrated with brightly detailed paintings, this simple, informative text will have children looking at feet in a whole new way.

Who Ate All the Cookie Dough?


Karen Beaumont - 2008
    The refrain will remind teachers and kids of the preschool game Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar, making Who Ate All the Cookie Dough? a perfect story-time choice in conjunction with the popular classroom game.Even the youngest readers can solve the mystery if they look closely-- preschool children will want to gobble this up!

Steam Train, Dream Train


Sherri Duskey Rinker - 2013
    In this book with rhyming text, the dream train pulls into the station and all the different cars are loaded by the animal workers, each with the appropriate cargo.

Dozens of Doughnuts


Carrie Finison - 2020
    But just before she takes the first bite, DING DONG! Her friend Woodrow (a woodchuck) drops by. LouAnn is happy to share her doughnuts, but as soon as she and Woodrow sit down to eat, DING DONG! Clyde (a raccoon) is at the door. One by one, LouAnn's friends come over--Topsy (an opossum) and then Moufette (a skunk) and then Chip and Chomp (chipmunks)--until it's one big party. LouAnn welcomes her surprise guests and makes batch after batch of doughnuts, always dividing them equally among her friends. But she makes one BIG miscalculation. Soon LouAnn's kitchen is bare, winter is near, and she's had nothing to eat at all!

My Heart Is Like a Zoo


Michael Hall - 2009
    Caldecott Medalist Brian Selznick says, "Starting with one simple shape, Michael Hall shows us a nearly infinite number of ways to make a menagerie of love."This award-winning picture book is a must-have for every young reader, who will learn that a heart can be hopeful, silly, happy, rugged, snappy, or lonely. A heart holds every different feeling, and author-artist Michael Hall captures each one with his bold, graphic artwork. An ideal springboard for conversations about emotions, and for introducing concepts, math, and art projects in the classroom and at home. School Library Journal called it an "outstanding choice for one-on-one sharing."

Tyrannosaurus Wrecks!


Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen - 2014
    But each activity is another opportunity for the over-enthusiastic Tyrannosaurus Rex to wreak havoc. Parents and young children will love the call-and-response nature of the book, and young dinosaur fans will appreciate the listing (and pronunciation guide) for a dozen different dino species. The format is extra vertical in order to accommodate T. Rex’s biggest messes. Praise for Tyrannosaurus Wrecks "Punchy writing, an equally in-your-face palette, and OHora’s characteristically brash painting style make this as much a stompalong as a readaloud." --Publishers Weekly "Along with the pleasure of pronouncing those multisyllabic dino names, young audiences may find food for thought in the behavioral dynamics on display." --Kirkus Reviews "Warmly colored with childlike bodies and emotive faces, Ohora’s dinosaurs are among the cutest you will come across in children’s books." --Booklist "The brief rhyming text, which scans well, tells a story with child appeal. There is a good balance of two-to-three word sentences with large, uncluttered illustrations, making the book a good choice for reading aloud. In their simplicity, the brightly colored pictures have the look of children’s art, but they enhance the classroom setting appropriately with interesting details." --School Library Journal "The shapely dinos, whose rough charcoal-style outlines and strong colors vividly contrast with the white or sometimes black backgrounds, are chunky and friendly in an eight-crayon-box color scheme and snazzy Peanuts-reminiscent outfits." --Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books "Together the chanting rhythm, ragged lines, and setting of an un-chaperoned dinosaur class create a satisfyingly high-energy, primal read-aloud strongly reminiscent of Bob Shea’s 'Dinosaur vs.' series." --The Horn Book Magazine

Hello Hello


Brendan Wenzel - 2018
    Beginning with two cats, one black and one white, a chain of animals appears before the reader, linked together by at least one common trait. From simple colors and shapes to more complex and abstract associations, each unexpected encounter celebrates the magnificent diversity of our world—and ultimately paints a story of connection. Brendan Wenzel's joyous, rhythmic text and exuberant art encourage readers to delight in nature's infinite differences and to look for—and marvel at—its gorgeous similarities. It all starts with a simple "Hello."

Ten Little Fish


Audrey Wood - 2004
    Follow ten little fish as they swim along a beautiful ocean reef, one by one departing from the school for different reasons, eventually leaving one fellow all alone. What will he do? Along comes another, and that makes two! Soon he becomes a father and she becomes a mother--with ten little children of their own. The rhyming text helps readers go from one to ten and back again, and each illustration pops with all the color and depth of an underwater playground.