The Biggest Bear

You should not be selling this book as a first edition. It was reprinted in 1980. Does not have a real Caldecott medal on the cover. You can buy the same edition for less from Amazon and others. Disappointed in you for selling it as something it is not.

I came online to purchase this book for my daughter and thought I would check out what this book meant to other people and was shocked by the sensitivity that is present in today's society. Having grown up being read this book 25 years ago I carry lessons from this book to this day. I haven't read it since then, listen to what I got from it:Johnny brings a wild animal into the community against the better judgement of family and neighbors. The bear is lovable but a nuisance animal and Johnny is forced to take the responsibility (shoot the bear) even though it is something he really, really doesn't want to do. (At this point I would interject, I always felt Johnny was older than I as he was allowed to carry guns. My parents always taught me to respect firearms. I was not allowed to be around guns without supervision until I was 16, even then it was only with permision.) The bear being saved by the zoo taught me that he didn't really check all of his options before trying to take care of the situation. I can still hear my mom telling me to "make sure and look into things, maybe you can figure out something better."In a nutshell, I got responsibility for my actions, do all my research to resolve problems, and wild animals are wild animals.To stick with me as long as it has, it must be entertaining and well written. I can't wait to pass it on to my little girl.

Our 2 1/2 year old son had the words memorized within a week of checking this book out from the library. It's wonderful. We live in a rural community where the black bear is a respected, everyday part of our lives. Just yesterday I shooed one away from our porch; problems are not common. Yes, we do hunt and provide food for our families, just as in the story. This book is wonderful and captures in text and artwork the many aspects of living rurally. It is truly a treasured book in our home.

Even thought this talks about hunting, the story and the ending are truly fun. The bear is full of personality and his exploits will make you laugh. The wonderful pictures alone could tell the story, put together with the words it is a great read that your child will long remember.