{"id":917722881,"title":"Grin and Bear It","handle":"grin-and-bear-it","description":"\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten and Illustrated by: \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/leo-landry\" title=\"Leo Landry bio\"\u003eLeo Landry\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCan Bear overcome his stage fright and make his animal pals chuckle?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBear dreams of becoming a comedian. His jokes are unbearably funny, and he wants nothing more than to make his friends laugh. But Bear has a problem. He has stage fright.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Emmy, the comic hummingbird, discovers Bear's jokes, Bear learns that there's more than one way to achieve your dream.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeven short chapters, accompanied by adorable illustrations, tell the story of how one talented bear achieved his dreams.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/ace-lacewing-bug-detective\" title=\"Ace Lacewing: Bug Detective\"\u003eAce Lacewing: Bug Detective\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/aggie-and-ben\" title=\"Aggie and Ben\"\u003eAggie and Ben: Three Stories\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/can-i-bring-my-pterodactyl-to-school-ms-johnson\" title=\"Can I Bring My Pterodactyl to School, Ms. Johnson?\"\u003eCan I Bring My Pterodactyl to School, Ms. Johnson?\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/grin-and-bear-it-spread.jpg?4771405606700456737\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e\u003cscript src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-shape=\"round\" defer async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLeo Landry, author \u0026amp; illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeo Landry is the author\/illustrator of several books for children, including Eat Your Peas, Ivy Louise!, and Space Boy. Leo is also the illustrator of Friends and Pals and Brother, Too. He lives in North Easton, Massachusetts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/leo-landry\" title=\"Leo Landry\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Leo Landry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eParents Magazine's 20 Best Children's Books of 2011\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCapitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA Junior Library Guild Selection\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year 2012\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe title of Landry's (\u003cem\u003eSpace Boy\u003c\/em\u003e) spry chapter book could easily be a punch line from its protagonist's repertoire of pun-centric jokes. An aspiring stand-up comic, Bear dreams of making his friends laugh (\" 'You're so funny, Bear,' Fawn would call. 'Great jokes!' Chuck would shout\"). He's fine practicing his routine in front of a mirror, but his confidence crumbles whenever he speaks in front of a crowd: \"His knees knocked. His paws paused. His fur froze.\" After much practice, Bear decides he's ready to perform onstage and invites his friends to the show-- at which he bungles all his jokes. Mortified, he runs off to the local watering hole, but a hummingbird, also a would-be comedian, finds his discarded sheet of jokes and hatches a plan that will benefit them both. A deft balance of punchy, dialogue-driven text and expressive, appealingly naïf pencil-and-watercolor pictures make this well suited to newly independent readers. With humor and subtlety, Landry's words and art impart a smart message about partnership, ingenuity, and pursuing one's goals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBear’s dreams of being a standup comedian are stymied by his stage fright in this chapter book for new readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBear knows what’s funny, from riddles to puns to plays on words, and he longs to make it in the big time at Woodland Stage. When he finally gets his big chance and all his buddies are in the audience to cheer him on, Bear freezes. He mumbles the words to his jokes, flubs the punch lines and eventually runs off the stage and into the forest, humiliated. His dreams crushed, Bear falls asleep in a puddle of his own tears. Lucky for Bear, though, he finds a new dream and some new friends along the way. Landry’s droll pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are filled with humorous graphic elements and little details that will encourage children to slow down and enjoy the text and the pictures. The seven very short chapters move along quickly, helping new readers gain confidence. With more words per page than generally seen in an early reader, this is an ideal bridge to slightly more challenging books.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEveryone—Bear, friends and readers—will laugh in the end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBooklist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBear's dream is to make his friends laugh and to tell his jokes on Woodland Stage. He is so nervous in front of an audience, though, that he messes up his act, and the uncluttered pencil-and-watercolor illustrations show him crumpled up and alone after failure. Then he pairs up with Emmy, a tiny, hilarious hummingbird, and when Bear writes the jokes and Emmy tells them onstage, they both get huge applause. From the title on, this simple chapter book is filled with wry wordplay, and the puns pop up in the pictures, too. At a ball game, what is the proper way to hold a bat? By its wings, as the picture shows. What kind of bird works at a construction site? A crane, of course. What do you get when a bear walks through your vegetable garden? Squash! Kids will appreciate the funny scenarios that reflect their own language mix-ups as well as the warm camaraderie among the animal friends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Horn Book Magazine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Bear had a dream. His dream was to make his friends laugh.” But poor Bear has stage fright, and his debut appearance on the Woodland Stage flops. Despondent, Bear goes to the local watering hole, orders a root beer, and says to himself: “What’s the use? I’ll never tell another joke again.” But when hummingbird Emmy, a gifted performer but lousy writer, finds Bear’s crumpled up list of jokes, she perceives its comedic genius and regales the crowd with an impromptu performance. Bear’s friends, recognizing his work, introduce the two and thus create a symbiotic partnership between two comedians with different skills. There are as many jokes in this book for newly independent readers as small carrots in a class of first graders’ lunch boxes, including puns (“What do little girl cubs wear in their hair? Bear-ettes!”) and play with multiple-meaning words (“What do you get when a bear walks through your vegetable garden? Squash!”) And, like any good joke, several bear repeating, thus speeding up the reading task. Seven chapters divide the narrative into small segments, while the numerous pencil and watercolor illustrations (both full-page and spot art) clarify the action and add depth to characterization. For example, when Bear appears on stage, his deer-in-the-headlights portrait perfectly complements the alliterative text: “His knees knocked. His paws paused. His fur froze.” A honey of a book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/grin-and-bear-it-cvr.jpg?9277413728831527257\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/grin-and-bear-it-hires.zip?9277413728831527257\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/grin-and-bear-it-joke-kit.pdf?9277413728831527257\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload Bear's Guide to Jokes and Telling Jokes\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-57091-745-5\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaperback\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-57091-746-2\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-779-8 EPUB\u003cbr\u003e ISBN: 978-1-60734-303-5 PDF\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 5-8\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 48\u003cbr\u003e6 x 8\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]","published_at":"2015-05-26T15:48:00-04:00","created_at":"2015-05-22T13:55:28-04:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Ages 3-6","Browse by Age_Ages 6-10","Browse by Fiction\/Nonfiction_Fiction","Browse by Format_Chapter Book","Browse by Language_English","Browse by Subject_Life Lessons \u0026 Skills"],"price":595,"price_min":595,"price_max":648,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":1295,"compare_at_price_min":1295,"compare_at_price_max":1295,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":2751997249,"title":"Hardcover","option1":"Hardcover","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"17455","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Grin and Bear It - Hardcover","public_title":"Hardcover","options":["Hardcover"],"price":648,"weight":278,"compare_at_price":1295,"inventory_quantity":88,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":"978-1-57091-745-5","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":2962073217,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"17462","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Grin and Bear It - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":595,"weight":136,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":10,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"978-1-57091-746-2","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/grin-and-bear-it-cover.jpg?v=1586795579"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/grin-and-bear-it-cover.jpg?v=1586795579","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"Grin and Bear It book cover","id":2473874817103,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.735,"height":816,"width":600,"src":"\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/grin-and-bear-it-cover.jpg?v=1586795579"},"aspect_ratio":0.735,"height":816,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/grin-and-bear-it-cover.jpg?v=1586795579","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten and Illustrated by: \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/leo-landry\" title=\"Leo Landry bio\"\u003eLeo Landry\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCan Bear overcome his stage fright and make his animal pals chuckle?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBear dreams of becoming a comedian. His jokes are unbearably funny, and he wants nothing more than to make his friends laugh. But Bear has a problem. He has stage fright.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Emmy, the comic hummingbird, discovers Bear's jokes, Bear learns that there's more than one way to achieve your dream.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeven short chapters, accompanied by adorable illustrations, tell the story of how one talented bear achieved his dreams.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/ace-lacewing-bug-detective\" title=\"Ace Lacewing: Bug Detective\"\u003eAce Lacewing: Bug Detective\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/aggie-and-ben\" title=\"Aggie and Ben\"\u003eAggie and Ben: Three Stories\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/can-i-bring-my-pterodactyl-to-school-ms-johnson\" title=\"Can I Bring My Pterodactyl to School, Ms. Johnson?\"\u003eCan I Bring My Pterodactyl to School, Ms. Johnson?\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/grin-and-bear-it-spread.jpg?4771405606700456737\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e\u003cscript src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-shape=\"round\" defer async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLeo Landry, author \u0026amp; illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeo Landry is the author\/illustrator of several books for children, including Eat Your Peas, Ivy Louise!, and Space Boy. Leo is also the illustrator of Friends and Pals and Brother, Too. He lives in North Easton, Massachusetts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/pages\/leo-landry\" title=\"Leo Landry\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Leo Landry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eParents Magazine's 20 Best Children's Books of 2011\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCapitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA Junior Library Guild Selection\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year 2012\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe title of Landry's (\u003cem\u003eSpace Boy\u003c\/em\u003e) spry chapter book could easily be a punch line from its protagonist's repertoire of pun-centric jokes. An aspiring stand-up comic, Bear dreams of making his friends laugh (\" 'You're so funny, Bear,' Fawn would call. 'Great jokes!' Chuck would shout\"). He's fine practicing his routine in front of a mirror, but his confidence crumbles whenever he speaks in front of a crowd: \"His knees knocked. His paws paused. His fur froze.\" After much practice, Bear decides he's ready to perform onstage and invites his friends to the show-- at which he bungles all his jokes. Mortified, he runs off to the local watering hole, but a hummingbird, also a would-be comedian, finds his discarded sheet of jokes and hatches a plan that will benefit them both. A deft balance of punchy, dialogue-driven text and expressive, appealingly naïf pencil-and-watercolor pictures make this well suited to newly independent readers. With humor and subtlety, Landry's words and art impart a smart message about partnership, ingenuity, and pursuing one's goals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBear’s dreams of being a standup comedian are stymied by his stage fright in this chapter book for new readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBear knows what’s funny, from riddles to puns to plays on words, and he longs to make it in the big time at Woodland Stage. When he finally gets his big chance and all his buddies are in the audience to cheer him on, Bear freezes. He mumbles the words to his jokes, flubs the punch lines and eventually runs off the stage and into the forest, humiliated. His dreams crushed, Bear falls asleep in a puddle of his own tears. Lucky for Bear, though, he finds a new dream and some new friends along the way. Landry’s droll pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are filled with humorous graphic elements and little details that will encourage children to slow down and enjoy the text and the pictures. The seven very short chapters move along quickly, helping new readers gain confidence. With more words per page than generally seen in an early reader, this is an ideal bridge to slightly more challenging books.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEveryone—Bear, friends and readers—will laugh in the end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBooklist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBear's dream is to make his friends laugh and to tell his jokes on Woodland Stage. He is so nervous in front of an audience, though, that he messes up his act, and the uncluttered pencil-and-watercolor illustrations show him crumpled up and alone after failure. Then he pairs up with Emmy, a tiny, hilarious hummingbird, and when Bear writes the jokes and Emmy tells them onstage, they both get huge applause. From the title on, this simple chapter book is filled with wry wordplay, and the puns pop up in the pictures, too. At a ball game, what is the proper way to hold a bat? By its wings, as the picture shows. What kind of bird works at a construction site? A crane, of course. What do you get when a bear walks through your vegetable garden? Squash! Kids will appreciate the funny scenarios that reflect their own language mix-ups as well as the warm camaraderie among the animal friends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Horn Book Magazine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Bear had a dream. His dream was to make his friends laugh.” But poor Bear has stage fright, and his debut appearance on the Woodland Stage flops. Despondent, Bear goes to the local watering hole, orders a root beer, and says to himself: “What’s the use? I’ll never tell another joke again.” But when hummingbird Emmy, a gifted performer but lousy writer, finds Bear’s crumpled up list of jokes, she perceives its comedic genius and regales the crowd with an impromptu performance. Bear’s friends, recognizing his work, introduce the two and thus create a symbiotic partnership between two comedians with different skills. There are as many jokes in this book for newly independent readers as small carrots in a class of first graders’ lunch boxes, including puns (“What do little girl cubs wear in their hair? Bear-ettes!”) and play with multiple-meaning words (“What do you get when a bear walks through your vegetable garden? Squash!”) And, like any good joke, several bear repeating, thus speeding up the reading task. Seven chapters divide the narrative into small segments, while the numerous pencil and watercolor illustrations (both full-page and spot art) clarify the action and add depth to characterization. For example, when Bear appears on stage, his deer-in-the-headlights portrait perfectly complements the alliterative text: “His knees knocked. His paws paused. His fur froze.” A honey of a book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/grin-and-bear-it-cvr.jpg?9277413728831527257\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/grin-and-bear-it-hires.zip?9277413728831527257\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/grin-and-bear-it-joke-kit.pdf?9277413728831527257\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload Bear's Guide to Jokes and Telling Jokes\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-57091-745-5\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaperback\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-57091-746-2\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-779-8 EPUB\u003cbr\u003e ISBN: 978-1-60734-303-5 PDF\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 5-8\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 48\u003cbr\u003e6 x 8\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]"}

Grin and Bear It

Written and Illustrated by: Leo Landry

Can Bear overcome his stage fright and make his animal pals chuckle?

Bear dreams of becoming a comedian. His jokes are unbearably funny, and he wants nothing more than to make his friends laugh. But Bear has a problem. He has stage fright.

When Emmy, the comic hummingbird, discovers Bear's jokes, Bear learns that there's more than one way to achieve your dream.

Seven short chapters, accompanied by adorable illustrations, tell the story of how one talented bear achieved his dreams.

$ 12.95
Maximum quantity available reached.

Leo Landry, author & illustrator

Leo Landry is the author/illustrator of several books for children, including Eat Your Peas, Ivy Louise!, and Space Boy. Leo is also the illustrator of Friends and Pals and Brother, Too. He lives in North Easton, Massachusetts.

Read more about Leo Landry.

  • Parents Magazine's 20 Best Children's Books of 2011
  • Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens
  • A Junior Library Guild Selection
  • Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year 2012

Publishers Weekly

The title of Landry's (Space Boy) spry chapter book could easily be a punch line from its protagonist's repertoire of pun-centric jokes. An aspiring stand-up comic, Bear dreams of making his friends laugh (" 'You're so funny, Bear,' Fawn would call. 'Great jokes!' Chuck would shout"). He's fine practicing his routine in front of a mirror, but his confidence crumbles whenever he speaks in front of a crowd: "His knees knocked. His paws paused. His fur froze." After much practice, Bear decides he's ready to perform onstage and invites his friends to the show-- at which he bungles all his jokes. Mortified, he runs off to the local watering hole, but a hummingbird, also a would-be comedian, finds his discarded sheet of jokes and hatches a plan that will benefit them both. A deft balance of punchy, dialogue-driven text and expressive, appealingly naïf pencil-and-watercolor pictures make this well suited to newly independent readers. With humor and subtlety, Landry's words and art impart a smart message about partnership, ingenuity, and pursuing one's goals.

Kirkus Reviews

Bear’s dreams of being a standup comedian are stymied by his stage fright in this chapter book for new readers.

Bear knows what’s funny, from riddles to puns to plays on words, and he longs to make it in the big time at Woodland Stage. When he finally gets his big chance and all his buddies are in the audience to cheer him on, Bear freezes. He mumbles the words to his jokes, flubs the punch lines and eventually runs off the stage and into the forest, humiliated. His dreams crushed, Bear falls asleep in a puddle of his own tears. Lucky for Bear, though, he finds a new dream and some new friends along the way. Landry’s droll pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are filled with humorous graphic elements and little details that will encourage children to slow down and enjoy the text and the pictures. The seven very short chapters move along quickly, helping new readers gain confidence. With more words per page than generally seen in an early reader, this is an ideal bridge to slightly more challenging books.

Everyone—Bear, friends and readers—will laugh in the end.

Booklist

Bear's dream is to make his friends laugh and to tell his jokes on Woodland Stage. He is so nervous in front of an audience, though, that he messes up his act, and the uncluttered pencil-and-watercolor illustrations show him crumpled up and alone after failure. Then he pairs up with Emmy, a tiny, hilarious hummingbird, and when Bear writes the jokes and Emmy tells them onstage, they both get huge applause. From the title on, this simple chapter book is filled with wry wordplay, and the puns pop up in the pictures, too. At a ball game, what is the proper way to hold a bat? By its wings, as the picture shows. What kind of bird works at a construction site? A crane, of course. What do you get when a bear walks through your vegetable garden? Squash! Kids will appreciate the funny scenarios that reflect their own language mix-ups as well as the warm camaraderie among the animal friends.

The Horn Book Magazine

“Bear had a dream. His dream was to make his friends laugh.” But poor Bear has stage fright, and his debut appearance on the Woodland Stage flops. Despondent, Bear goes to the local watering hole, orders a root beer, and says to himself: “What’s the use? I’ll never tell another joke again.” But when hummingbird Emmy, a gifted performer but lousy writer, finds Bear’s crumpled up list of jokes, she perceives its comedic genius and regales the crowd with an impromptu performance. Bear’s friends, recognizing his work, introduce the two and thus create a symbiotic partnership between two comedians with different skills. There are as many jokes in this book for newly independent readers as small carrots in a class of first graders’ lunch boxes, including puns (“What do little girl cubs wear in their hair? Bear-ettes!”) and play with multiple-meaning words (“What do you get when a bear walks through your vegetable garden? Squash!”) And, like any good joke, several bear repeating, thus speeding up the reading task. Seven chapters divide the narrative into small segments, while the numerous pencil and watercolor illustrations (both full-page and spot art) clarify the action and add depth to characterization. For example, when Bear appears on stage, his deer-in-the-headlights portrait perfectly complements the alliterative text: “His knees knocked. His paws paused. His fur froze.” A honey of a book.

Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-57091-745-5

Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-57091-746-2

E-book
ISBN: 978-1-60734-779-8 EPUB
ISBN: 978-1-60734-303-5 PDF

Ages: 5-8
Page count: 48
6 x 8