Bear's Big Dreaming

by Michael Rosen, Daniel Egnéus (Illustrator)

Overview

From beloved author Michael Rosen (We're Going on a Bear Hunt) and award-winning illustrator Daniel Egnéus comes a modern classic picture book about love, hope and the dreams that sustain us.

* “A soothing tale that will be welcomed in autumn or at bedtime in any season of the year.” -Booklist, starred review

The Cold is coming, and it's time for Big Bear and Little Bear to get ready for the Big Sleep: for bears sleep all winter long, and wake up in the spring. But Little Bear is worried. What if they run out of dreams during the Big Sleep? Little Bear sets out bravely to find enough dreams to see them through the long winter. On his journey, he discovers dreams of happiness, dreams of homecoming, and dreams of hope.

But with the Cold approaching fast, will Little Bear make it back home in time for the Big Dreaming?

A resonant and uplifting tale from a master storyteller, The Big Dreaming is a classic in the making, filled with luminous illustrations by award-winning artist Daniel Egnéus.

Read Bear's Big Dreaming if you are looking for:
A cozy bedtime book to inspire sweet dreams
A gift to treasure with stunning gold foil
A seasonal story that introduces bear hibernation

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547613311
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	10/31/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	34 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Michael Rosen is a beloved children's author, poet, broadcaster and activist who has written over 140 books, including the mega-bestselling classic We're Going on a Bear Hunt. He served as Children's Laureate from 2007 to 2009 and is a Professor of Children's Literature at Goldsmith's, University of London.

Daniel Egnéus is a prolific artist who has illustrated numerous books, including several Neil Gaiman titles and the much-loved picture book, Be Wild, Little One by Olivia Hope. He was voted Best Illustrator by the Association of Illustrators in 2005, and his picture book, Lubna and Pebble (written by Wendy Meddour) was chosen by TIME Magazine as one of the 10 best picture books 2019. He is based in Athens, Greece.
Michael Rosen is a hugely bestselling author of picture books and poetry. Michael frequently appears on radio and gives talks and lectures on children's literature. He served as Children's Laureate from June 2007 to June 2009, and is the winner of the Eleanor Farjeon Award. He has been a TV presenter and a political columnist, and his books include Carrying the Elephant: A Memoir of Love and Loss and Uncle Billy Being Silly. He lives in London.
Daniel Egnéus is a prolific artist who has illustrated numerous books, including several Neil Gaiman titles. He was voted Best Illustrator by the Association of Illustrators in 2005, and his picture book, Lubna and Pebble, (written by Wendy Meddour) was chosen by TIME Magazine as one of the 10 best picture books 2019. He has illustrated multiple titles for Bloomsbury, including Be Wild, Little One by Olivia Hope and Fox by Isabel Thomas. He is based in Athens.

Editorial Reviews

* Rosen's words and Egnéus' lovely pictures combine to create a soothing tale that will be welcomed in autumn or at bedtime in any season of the year.” —Booklist, starred review

“This sweet bedtime story [is] cozy and comforting...Egnéus's loose watercolors and use of contrasting dark and light values for the backgrounds are gorgeous and will make readers feel as if they are in a forest. A solid purchase for any preschool collection.” —School Library Journal

“Be ready to share a dream with the little one who asks you to read this.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Luminously beautiful.” —The Guardian on BE WILD, LITTLE ONE, illustrated by Daniel Egnéus

“* Extraordinary in writing and illustration.” —The Horn Book, starred review, on FOX, illustrated by Daniel Egneus

“* A deeply fulfilling look at the ups and downs of natural selection.” —Shelf Awareness, starred review, on MOTH, illustrated by Daniel Egneus

From the Publisher

07/01/2023

PreS-K—Little Bear is worried he will run out of material during the Big Dreaming of hibernation, so he sets out to gather spare dreams from the other animals in the forest. Squirrel tells a Happiness Right Now dream, Rabbit tells the dream of Coming Home Safe, and Wolf tells a dream of Always Having Hope. When Little Bear realizes he is lost in the forest and it's starting to snow, he remembers the three dreams given to him by his forest friends. He finds his way home just in time. Youngest readers will find this sweet bedtime story cozy and comforting, even if parents find it somewhat predictable. A poetic refrain makes this an appealing read-aloud. Egnéus's loose watercolors and use of contrasting dark and light values for the backgrounds are gorgeous and will make readers feel as if they are in a forest. VERDICT A solid purchase for any preschool collection.—Hillary Perelyubskiy

School Library Journal

2023-07-26
A small bear getting ready for hibernation gathers other animals’ dreams so he won’t run out.

Little Bear has never been through the Sleep before, and he’s nervous about the unknown. He and Big Bear decide that the Sleep is a “Big Dreaming.” But Little Bear’s newest worry is that he will run out of dreams; “then there would be a Big Nothing.” So he sets off to look for some dreams, asking Squirrel, Rabbit, and Wolf if they have any spare dreams. “Squirrel, Squirrel, Squirrel,” he says. “We’re getting ready for the Big Dreaming, / we’re getting ready for the Sleep. / Do you have any spare dreams, / for when we sleep, deep, deep?” Each does, and it turns out to be a good thing, as their lessons prove vital in helping Little Bear find his way back to Big Bear once the snow starts falling. In palette, tone, and layout, Egnéus’ illustrations resemble the artwork from older Golden Books, with highlights of turquoise, orange, deep red, and greens. The animals are more realistic than not. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Be ready to share a dream with the little one who asks you to read this. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews