Blog Tour: Share, Big Bear, Share! by Maureen Wright, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand

Big Bear is back and this time he has a big bucket of beautiful blueberries to eat. And they sure do look good, at least that’s what Big Bear’s forest friends think as they watch him dig in without offering any to them. But Big Bear is so busy with his blueberries, he doesn’t even notice his friends as they gather around him and wonder why he isn't offering any to them. In fact, he is so intent on enjoying his blueberries that each time the Old Oak Tree tries to remind him to “Share, Big Bear, Share,” Big Bear thinks he has been reminded to do something else, over and over and over. Will Big Bear finally understand what the Old Oak Tree is really telling him and share his blueberries with all his forest friends before they are all gone?

Share, Big Bear, Share follows the same jolly rhyming pattern as the two previous Big Bear books, Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep! (2009) and Sneeze, Big Bear, Sneeze! (2011). Kids already familiar with these books will no doubt immediately pick up on the repetition of the Oak Tree’s imperative to Share, Big Bear, Share! and join in at the appropriate places; kids not familiar with the pattern won’t take long to pick up on it and join in as well. There’s plenty of humor to be found in the story as Big Bear, so intent on enjoying his blueberries, doesn’t really pay attention to the Oak Tree and keep goofing up, so expect lots of laughter. 

Will Hillenbrand’s delightfully whimsical illustrations, done with graphite pencil and digital media, add so much to the humor of the story. And Hillenbrand knows what he is doing. He has written and/or illustrated over 60 books for young readers including Down by the Barn, Mother Goose Picture Puzzles and the Bear and Mole series. He has lived almost all of his life in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he grew up as the youngest of four boys. He now lives in Terrace Park and was recently honored as Author/Illustrator in Residence at Kent State University. 

Information about his books, selected readings, art process videos, and activity ideas can be viewed at http://www.willhillenbrand.com/ You can also connect with Will at https://www.facebook.com/willhillenbrandbooks 
And, you can find some fun activities at his website, including a game to Help Big Bear Share HERE

Besides being a pretty funny story, there are some serious themes to be found that could/should generate plenty of discussion with young readers, themes that stress the importance of paying attention, making mistakes, forgiving, and sharing.

I think the book trailer for Share, Big Bear, Share! will give you an idea of just how charming this book really is. 

I was given a copy of Share, Big Bear, Share! by the publisher, Two Lions for a giveaway, but it unfortunately suffered some water damage in the fire that happened in my building last week, see my post of May 8, 2017.