Bear's Picture

I really liked this book and the message it sends. The best artists are generally those who follow their own hearts - as illustrated by the ultimate realism of Bear's picture! The theme of this book is very similar to The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola. The Art Lesson (Paperstar Book)

Bear loves to paint for the sheer joy of painting; he feels drawn to creating and experimenting with color and forms. He doesn't paint with any particular plan, he's spontaneous and his painting is as fresh and unfettered as the bear himself: First he made an orange squiggle. Then he had a look at it. "I believe it wants some blue," said the bear. And he painted some blue. THe important thing, Pinkwater implies, is not the bear as artist, but the bear's interaction with the canvas. Note that it's not about what the bear needs; rather, it's about what the blue might want. Bear's spirit of non-conformity and freedom is challenged by society, represented by by two "fine, proper gentlemen" drawn in shades of grey and wearing formal attire from the 1920's. They wear spats and hats, and one holds a sssstylish cane, but we don't really see their faces. "Bears can't paint pictures," said the second fine, proper gentleman, despite all evidence to the contrary (i.e., there is bear, painting, adding color here and there), and bear's own protest: "Why not? Why can't a bear do anything he likes?" asked the bear. "Besides," said the first fine, proper gentleman, "that is a silly picture." And his upper class friend adds that "nobody can tell" what the picture represents. They keep looking for some referent... a butterfly, perhaps, or a clown. Finally, when they ask bear he replies (quite eloquently) that it's all sorts of things he likes... a honey tree, a stream in the forest, "a hollow log filled with soft leaves for a bear to keep warm in all winter long," and so on... As the picture becomes more abstract and colorful, the two fine proper gentleman find themselves inside the picture; to wit, in the streak representing a river, and gradually they submerge beneath it, leaving only their hats. This seemed a little disturbing to me, and the symbolism (basically, the bear's ultimate triumph over the nay-sayers) may be lost on your young audience. I also found the device a bit gimmicky (or perhaps, overused of late), but bear, after declaring that what matters is how the picture looks to him ("It is MY picture"), looks at the finished product with joy. WHile the bear isn't particularly cuddly or warm-looking, everything else about the illustrations is superb. D.B. Johnson is an artist I've admired since his great "Henry Hikes to Fitchburg," and his mixed media paintings of bear's painting are awash with vibrant color, movement, balance, and imagination. Little paintpots adorn the pages, and we see that's it's ok to make things up as you go. Pinkwater returns to some of the themes in his wonderful "The Big Orange Splot," such as independence, the importance of personal expression, and pride in one's efforts despite criticism. These are all important values ( to my mind) for a toddler to early elemenatry school-aged child to view, and, coupled with Cooper's beautiful abstractions make for a great book. Some of that enjoyment also stems from the prod

Bear's Picture is a beautifully presented story about being oneself regardless of the opinions of others. I was thrilled to see that this book had been republished. I was foolish enough to let go of the copy that my children, now in their 30's, enjoyed so much. The line from the book, "It doesn't have to.... It's my picture" has been used by our family to make a point many, many times through the years. I recently purchased four copies of the new edition, one of which I gave to my 3-year-old granddaughter who enjoys the book and understands the message it delivers. Great for children of all ages. My only comment regarding the new edition is that I prefer the illustrations in the original.

Bear's Picture is simple, sweet and true, and I'm not the only one who thinks so! Immediately after taking our copy out of the box my three year old daughter, who loves to paint, asked me to read it three times in a row and it has been in heavy rotation ever since. The artwork is as wonderful as the story. The two "fine and proper gentlemen" in the book may not "get" bear's picture, but you and your child certainly will.

This is the perfect book for helping children to remember that if THEY are pleased with something they have made for the joy of making it, then it does not matter what others think. A good book for many adults (especially hypercritical ones) to read as well...