Beardream

By Will Hobbs

Book Overview

Spring has come to the muntains, and the bears have emerged from their winter's sleep -- all but the Great Bear, who sleeps on in his den.
In the Ute village, a boy called Short Tail worries that the Geat Bear will starve if he doesn't waken. So Short Tail heads off into the mountains to rouse the Great Bear. But on the way to the Great Bear's den, Short Tail too falls asleep, and slips into a magical dream in which the Great Bear teaches him a wornderful secret to share with his people.
Will Hobbs's lyrical text and Jill Kastner's rich, evoctive oil paintings bring the story of a Native American tradition ot vivid life.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689319738
• ISBN13: 9780689319730
• Release Date: April 1997
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.4" x 12.3"
• Age Range: 6 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 4

Customer Reviews

A wonderful slightly mysterious bedtime read

I've read this at night to my daughter many many times over the years, in a soft voice at a slow pace. It's a simple story about how the Ute Bear Dance came to be, and makes me want to go to Colorado to see it. Although the book is simple, it is a bit mysterious in a sometimes very slightly scary way, and held her attention always. (This is due also to the wonderful illustrations)

Dances with Bears

A story about a boy named Short Tail, who is afriad that Grandfather bear has not survived the winter. No one has seen the bear, and it is past springtime. So Short Tail decides to climb the mountain and see if the bear is still alive. When he gets there he sees that the bear is still sleeping. Short Tail wakes the bear, and the bear takes him to a special meeting place of the bears. While at this place, the bears dance to celebrate the ending of winter. Grandfather bear tells Short Tail to go back and show his people the dance so they can do it also. It is a good story about why the Natives dance.

Beautiful Beardreams

This book displays the great respect for wildlife that Native Americans have. The telling of the Ute's relationship with the bears is an old tale that is presented well with this book. The beautiful paintings in the book reflect what is written in the pages with subtle dreamlike messages throughout. As an educator, this book will be an asset to my collection for my students.