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Bear

Bear Snores On

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One by one, a whole host of different animals and birds find their way out of the cold and into Bear's cave to warm up. But even after the tea has been brewed and the corn has been popped, Bear just snores on!
See what happens when he finally wakes up and finds his cave full of uninvited guests -- all of them having a party without him!

34 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

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About the author

Karma Wilson

93 books501 followers
Karma Wilson grew up an only child of a single mother in the wilds of North Idaho. Way back then (just past the stone age and somewhat before the era of computers) there was no cable TV and if there had been Karma could not have recieved it. TV reception was limited to 3 channels, of which one came in with some clarity. Karma did the only sensible thing a lonely little girl could do…she read or played outdoors.

Playing outdoors was fun, but reading was Karma’s “first love” and, by the age 11, she was devouring about a novel a day. She was even known to try to read while riding her bike down dirt roads, which she does not recommend as it is hazardous to the general well being of the bike, the rider, and more importantly the book. Her reading preferences were fantasy (C.S. Lewis, Terry Brooks, etc…) and historical fiction (L.M. Montgomery, Laura Ingalls Wilder, etc…). Those tastes have not changed much.

Karma never considered writing as a profession because her mother was a professional writer which made it seem like mundane work. At the age of 27 she realized that she still loved well-written children’s books of all kinds, from picture books to young adult novels. By that time Karma was a wife and the mother of three young children. Trips to the library with her kids were a combination of emotions…a good book meant fun for all! But so many of the books weren’t what her children wanted to listen to.

Then a tax refund changed everything. With the money the family decided to invest in a computer. Karma was forced to learn to type. Combining her desire to make the expensive computer pay for itself, her new-found typing skill, and her love of children’s literature, Karma started writing for children. She wanted to put a few more good books on the library shelves and pay off that computer! Countless rejections and three years later Karma was finally accepted by book agent Steven Malk (who had already rejected her once, which she never lets him forget). Her first book, Bear Snores On, was released in 2002. The computer was paid for!

Since then Karma has had more than 30 books accepted for publication. Many of those are on the shelves of libraries and bookstores around the world. Her books have received numerous state and national awards, been translated into dozens of languages, and a few have made an appearance on the New York Times bestseller list. Karma sincerely hopes that her books bring joy to children and families everywhere.

Karma writes humorous, rhythmic picture books for the very young, and humorous and wistful poetry for the primary grades.

These days Karma lives with her handsome husband Scott, and her three not-so-young-anymore children, two dogs, two chickens and one cat on some modest but lovely acreage in NW Montana. Her hobbies include reading (of course), photography, baking, yoga, and a passion for Mixed Martial Arts.

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5 stars
16,837 (51%)
4 stars
9,450 (29%)
3 stars
4,887 (15%)
2 stars
980 (3%)
1 star
390 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 949 reviews
Profile Image for Mariah Roze.
1,056 reviews1,060 followers
November 29, 2017
This was a cute story that explained hibernation a little bit. My students really enjoyed the pictures.
Profile Image for Erin Phelps.
88 reviews
December 9, 2007
i LOVE this book, but i have to say the subsequent follow-ups were all basically the same. bear gets sick, bear stays up, bear files taxes, and on it goes.
Profile Image for midnightfaerie.
2,139 reviews122 followers
July 2, 2013
Loved this one today. The kids barely touched their cereal as I read this one. We've read one of these before and they love this bear and his friends. This time was no exception. The illustrations are big and beautiful and make the bear look so cuddly that one of my 2 yr old twins, Merrick, always hugs himself and says "Awww! Hugs!" There aren't many words overall, but I think it could probably be considered a level 1 reading book, as the diversity of the words are evident. Overall, a fun read.
Profile Image for Stacey.
302 reviews34 followers
May 29, 2021
This is one of my favorite children's books. It is a heartwarming book about a bear who sleeps through much activity as a variety of animals take shelter in his lair from the cold. I've read this story to my children many times and it never gets old. 🤎 ❄🐻
Profile Image for Jennifer.
205 reviews6 followers
January 22, 2018
I love this book. Black tea and popcorn? Dancing with badgers and sneezes! ACHOOOOOOO!
Profile Image for Ana LibrariAna.
412 reviews7 followers
January 17, 2024
On a cold day, one by one, lots of animals find the bear’s den a perfect place to warm up. They start popping corn, brewing tea and having fun, while the bear just snores on. But when a speck of pepper lands on the bear’s nose, and wakes him up, the bear in NOT happy. Being woken up in the middle of his winter’s sleep and finding uninvited guest having a party without him… is just too much for bear.

A perfect winter read-aloud and an ideal one to start the series with. If you are planning to use it to teach about emotions, this one is great for anger and sadness.
Profile Image for Relyn.
3,833 reviews65 followers
May 14, 2019
This book is a HUGE hit with kindergarten and first graders. They just get such a giggle out of it. I can't keep Karma Wilson's books on the shelves.
Profile Image for Jordan Evans.
66 reviews1 follower
October 14, 2023
Okay look, i didn't read this myself BUT it was read to me by my nine year old niece and that was very special so it gets added to the list.

For those who want an actual review I suppose its not the most accurate book ever. Waking a sleeping bear isn't a great idea especially if you happen to be a mouse or a hare but I think accuracy would have resulted in a very different book so...its cute
Profile Image for Adina Cappell.
16 reviews17 followers
May 3, 2012
This is obviously where Lady Gaga gets her best ideas: "The coals pip-pop and the wind doesn't stop.... But the bear snores on."
Said bear learns an excellent lesson on how to deal with missed opportunities (see also "Existential Regret: A Crossroads of Existential Anxiety and Existential Guilt". doi: 10.1177/0022167803259752. Journal of Humanistic Psychology January 2004 vol. 44 no. 1 58-70) While Bear hibernates, his friends have been crashing his cave to party. Bear has the prototypical party host meltdown scene (see "Mean Girls," "Can't Hardly Wait", "Weird Science" et. al.), yelling "you've snuck in my lair, and you've all had fun! But me? I was sleeping...and I have had none!"
Mouse, shiftless, yet possessing profound insight, teaches Bear that it's never too late to get his groove on: "Don't fret. Don't fuss. Look, see? We can pop more corn! We can brew more tea!" We can pop more corn indeed. And we shall.
12 reviews
Read
April 30, 2012
Wilson writes in a bouncy manner where the words jump off the page in anticipation of being read. Chapman’s excellent and effective illustrations portray a clear contrast between the harsh conditions of the snowstorm to the comfortable, warm and cosy conditions of the bear’s cave.

This would be a great book to read aloud to your class especially with the fantastic illustrations the book offers. It’s a simple tale sharing the fun to be had with bear, mouse, hare, badger, gopher, mole, raven and wren.

This book could be aimed at both key stage 1 and early key stage 2. As mentioned already the comparison of illustrations and words would be very effective in learning about comparisons.

This account of bear and his friends doesn’t end here; there are two sequels, ‘Bear Wants More’ and ‘Bear Stays Up for Christmas’.
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
844 reviews
December 31, 2020
This cute children’s book was posted in a series of waterproof stands outside the Gilbert House Children’s Museum in Salem, Oregon.

Lots of cute animals come to visit the bear while he is hibernating.
14 reviews
August 7, 2024
Day 1 og banger nothing quite like it revolutionary life changing touching moving exquisite piece of literature
Profile Image for Chadi Raheb.
439 reviews410 followers
Read
June 18, 2020
The sweetest little book one could ever read in their coffee breaks. And Guess what? It comes in series! YAY!
Profile Image for Dolly.
Author 1 book666 followers
May 14, 2020
Great pictures and engaging narrative - we love to read this book over and over again. Our girls often ask to borrow Karma Wilson's books from the library. We just love this story!

I have purchased copies of this book for friends and family and highly recommend it for anyone with little ones.

This book was selected as one of the books for the September 2013 - Bedtime stories discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
Profile Image for Jocelin.
1,940 reviews46 followers
November 21, 2011
This story left me a little cold. This story follows bear as he is hibernating. His little woodland friends decide that he should not be sleeping but, having fun. They come in the cave and start to party. He wakes up & gets mad and then he feels bad. He decides to relent and party then when he is ready to party, they are all tired and fall asleep. This story sends a message that it is ok to do something if you want to and never mind the consequences. They made bear feel bad about the fact that he wasn't partying with them. He was doing what he needed to do hibernating. They should have left him alone & went about their business some place else.
Profile Image for Samantha Penrose.
794 reviews21 followers
November 19, 2008
Good rhythm, lots of different voices to invent...a good read aloud book.
Poor bear hibernates right through most of the party that is carrying in right in his own lair. When he wakes up he is a blubbering mess about being left out but is quickly welcomed to join the fun. Unfortunately, soon after he joins the fun, all of his mates fall asleep leaving him wide awake and on his own. Its no fun being the last awake party animal at dawn....come on, who wants to go to denny's for some 4 am breakfast?!
Profile Image for Taha Rabbani.
164 reviews216 followers
August 30, 2022
مجموعه‌ای پنج-شش جلدی از نشر پرتقال با کیفیتی عالی، چه از لحاظ چاپ و چه از لحاظ متن. متن یک مترجم دارد و یک شاعر و شعرها کیفیت خوبی دارند. ویراستاری کتاب هم خوب است. در باب کیفیت چاپ هم همین بس که هیچ‌کدام از این پنج-شش جلد بعد این همه‌وقت که زیر دست‌وپای دو بچه‌ام بوده‌اند خم به ابرو نیاورده‌اند. تصویرگری کتاب هم خیلی خوب و پرجزئیات است. آموزشی هم نیست که حال آدم به هم بخورد. شعری بچگانه، مناسب بچگیِ بچه‌ها.
Profile Image for Amy.
609 reviews40 followers
December 10, 2013
We are loving this book. The words flow together great, it has a happy ending, and the illustrations are fantastic. Great read aloud to the very young.
Profile Image for Chance Lee.
1,389 reviews149 followers
April 14, 2017
This book is full of lovely sensory descriptions -- smells, sights, tastes, and sounds. The illustrations are big and lush. The story is a little basic, but still entertaining.
65 reviews1 follower
Read
February 27, 2024
This book involved a bear who was sleeping in a cave. Many animals came in. They cooked food and had much fun. The bear finally woke up and was sad because he missed out on the fun. He ended up having fun, and the other animals went to sleep (Wilson, K. A., & Chapman, J. (2001). Bear snores on. Margaret K. McElderry Books).

This book is suitable for kindergarten through fourth grade. It is easy to follow along, has many pictures to keep ones attention, and shows excitement.

I selected this book because it shows reverse roles. There was also much food and festivities involved. It also showed how someone could be sad, but their whole demeanor can change when you involve them with what you are doing. It shows the aspect of friendship. The aspect of fun is very important to a child.
Profile Image for Kalynda.
583 reviews2 followers
January 19, 2018
This is a cute story that will delight your young readers. Deep into winter a small mouse comes upon a bear's cave, where it is deep in hibernation. Not even the fire he starts wakes the bear up. Not even when the rabbit comes and they pop some popcorn. Soon more animal friends come in to escape the winter storm, but still the bear snores on...until...well, you will just have to find out. :-) Great way to introduce hibernation and also talk about some misconceptions about what other animals do during the winter.
Profile Image for Trey Burley.
28 reviews2 followers
March 17, 2017
This was one of the first books that our now 7YO loved. The 'bear' series that Karma Wilson has is simple, but so effective with small children. This-and the rest of the 'bear' series that we have are still here, even though our kids are much older. The books are being saved in the library for when, or if they're needed in the future.
Profile Image for Amber.
267 reviews2 followers
May 24, 2022
For a kid’s book, this one gets 5 stars. I got it from Chickfila so I figured I’d read it before sending it to Goodwill.

It was cute, a nice little book to read with kids. The bear is hibernating in winter and the other animals seek shelter in his cave from the snow. It has a bit of a rhyme to it but not done in an overly annoying way.
Profile Image for Caroline.
560 reviews
June 22, 2022
Another fun installment of "The Bear" books by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman.
Bear, unknowingly, facilitates a cozy place for popcorn, tea, and honey nuts to be enjoyed with many furry and feathered friends in the midst of a cold blizzard.
What a fun read aloud, especially in the winter months!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 949 reviews

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