Little Bear and the Big Fight

I thought this book was a really good one that teaches you the value of friendship. The main characters in the story are Little Bear and Brandon. They are best friends and one day while they are at school, they get into a fight because Brandon doesn't want to share. This causes Little Bear to get mad at Brandon and he bites him. They don't talk to each other after this. Much like most children do in real life. Little Bear starts feeling lonely and wants to be friends with Brandon again, but he doesn't want to appologize. This teaches little kids that staying mad at their friends does nothing for them. There is no use in staying mad at your friend when all you have to do is apologize. The story teaches little kids to just let go of their anger after a fight, but it is not easy. I think it would be a great book for parents to buy and read to their children.

I have 3 yr old twin boys who can fight as only siblings can but they are also the best of buddies. This book is useful in helping explain what makes people angry, what people do when they are angry and how to "stop" feeling angry. It is geared for the preschool/kindergarten age and uses words and actions seen in this age group. My boys can talk through the concepts presented and *hopefully* are learning how to deal with angry feelings.I love this book for it's words and pictures. Little Bear and his best friend argue over something as simple as clay. Brandon does not share the clay, a fight ensues and Little Bear ends up biting Brandon. Little Bear remains angry for several days. He feels lonely and left out as his friend gets extra attention. He thinks about apologizing, but he feels the fight resulted from Brandon's behavior. His feelings finally get the best of him and once his friend initiates the apology, he agrees that it is better to be sorry and have his best friend back.My only problem with this book (and discussing it with my children) is that neither bear is required to be responsible for their bad behavior. Brandon does not share AND he flushes the clay down the toilet. Little Bear bites Brandon, but his only "punishment" is angry feelings and loneliness. None of these behaviors are tolerated in my house, much less in a kindergarten classroom. At the very least, a discussion on sharing should be covered in a page or two, not lavish attention given to Brandon with Little Bear being isolated by his classmates. Granted, I do make this part of our discussion, but for a 5 or 6 year old who is a little more savvy, seeing these behaviors not addressed in the book may confuse them. ... I still give it 4 stars since the overall content and message are wonderfully presented.

I reviewed this book at my local library. I loved it, so I bought it for my grandchildren. Little Bear and his best kindergarden friend have a fight over not sharing pink clay. Little Bear stays angry for two days, so it shows anger as a normal emotion. But, they finally apologize to each other. The illustrations show the emotions of not feeling good with anger, then feeling happy when it is resolved.