The Bear That Heard Crying

I used to read this book to my kids regularly when they were young. I found myself struggling (often unsuccessfully) to keep from crying almost every time I read it. A touching quasi-true story about the universal instinct among adults to protect the helpless young, and among children to place their faith and trust in anything they find comforting. Highly recommended!

This was one of my favorite books as a child. It left such an impact, that I checked it out from the library dozens of times. I remembered it as simply "Sarah's Story," and initially had difficulty finding it in our local library. This is among our favorite family books, one that I look forward to sharing with future generations. The illustrations are beautiful, and the story is told engagingly. Be sure to share this wonderful TRUE story with any child that you hold dear.

My 6-year old daughter brought this book home from the library last year. She and her 4-year old brother were entranced by the book, as was I. The fact that it is true makes it even better. My kids loved the fact that the little girl thought the bear that protected her was a dog. I plan to buy it this year for a birthday or Christmas gift, and not just for my children.

This tale of a wild animal caring for a human child is very touching. It is beautifully written and illustrated. I read this to my class last year and again this year. They hang on every word.

A delightful story especially since it was based on true facts. I chose this book to read to a 1st grade class and they loved it. They could identify with it and shared their feelings. You could tie this story in with Thanksgiving time since the family was anxious to get their little girl back after being lost in the woods for 4 days. What a comfort the ("big black dog" as Sarah put it) friendly bear was to her. The illustrations were perfectly matched with the text. Some double-paged spreads to focus on the momments were communicated and bright/dark colors were used to create the mood. I would highly recommend this book because of the "homey" feeling you get when immersed in it. My daughters really enjoyed it as well, and after reading it, we respected and appreciated animals (bears) more. I would like to thank the authors Natalie Kinsey Warnock and Helen Kinsey for writing this intriguing story, and also Ted Rand for his artistic talent...Beautifully done!! Sincerely, Debby Matchulat; Marquette, MI