Not Fair, Bear! (PB)

By Author / Illustrator

Lorna Scobie

Genre

Friends and family

Age range(s)

Publisher

Scholastic

ISBN

9780702324086

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

12-09-2024

Synopsis

The next picture book from the super-talented creator of Bears Don't Share! Squirrel and Bear do everything together, which means they ALWAYS get along, right? Erm, WRONG! Because, even though Squirrel and Bear are best friends, they are also very different. Squirrel loves hide-and-seek, but Bear is so big that she can never find a good hiding place! Bear loves digging, but Squirrel can never keep up - it's exhausting! Will these two friends find a way to have fun together? (Spoiler alert, you bet they will!)

Another personality-packed picture book by mega talent Lorna Scobie Brilliant illustrations full of expression and humour A gentle reminder that being a good friend means thinking of others alongside doing what feels right for us.

Check out Lorna Scobie's Bears Don't Share in the same series.

Reviews

Children will often have to negotiate their way in friendships, and this lovely story explores the kinds of problems that can arise when each child wants to get their own way.

In Not Fair, Bear!, it's playtime, and Bear wants to do things his way until Squirrel gets fed up, and demands they do things Squirrel's way. Sadly, that makes Bear unhappy because he just can't do things the way Squirrel does. Eventually, they find a compromise; to take turns at doing things each other's way during their playtimes.

The really positive message in this story is that Bear and Squirrel talk about what is making them unhappy, and work together to find a way through the problems, something that children can be encouraged to do themselves - whatever the friendship problem they are having. Compromise can be a wonderful thing!

The illustrations are bright, bold and expressive, making this a lovely story to share to explore emotions, and on the back page is a range of expressive pictures of Bear and Squirrel, so children can choose a face to show how they are feeling today.

Not Fair, Bear!, is a lovely story for exploring friendships and their challenges, with a really positive message about communication and compromise - and the added bonus of exploring how we are feeling at the end of the book.

Picture book / Reviewed by Elen Green.