This was a beautiful story about the values of kindness and gratitude and their importance. 

Mr Bear was a generous and kind man who helped his neighbors whenever they needed it. As time goes on they begin to take him for granted and learn the hard way how important it is to appreciate the people we love. 

Beautiful illustrations and a short and simple story.

Kind Mr. Bear is a cute, simple but effective story about a Bear whose kindness gets taken advantage of. He is always so helpful and his forest friends begin to expect his kindness instead of appreciate it. That is until Mr. Bear falls ill and isn't around to help them when they need it. The story is short and simple but gets its point across and would be serve to start a conversation about being thankful and appreciative of the kindness of others. The illustrations are very cute. 
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Just like a favorite teddy bear sits quietly at the ready waiting for his chance to cuddle, sometimes a good lesson waits quietly below the surface of an entertaining story. Told with the soft natural painting of author/illustrator Steve Smallman, Kind Mr Bear, is the type of story that has many different layers.  On the surface it’s a sweet story about a bear who falls ill and can no longer complete his daily living activities on his own.  But just under the surface, it’s a great way to introduce the topic of aging and a reduction in abilities to young children.

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley.
A delightful story with a powerful message for all ages - who helps the helper? Mr. Bear is kindness personified. He delights in helping others and they have started to take that for granted. One day, he becomes ill and no one is around to help him. One young mouse realizes the animals haven't seen Mr. Bear and goes looking for him. She rallies the forest animals to come and help Mr. Bear. They realize how selfish they've been and remedy this by taking care of him. By the end of the story, everyone is helping each other.
Lovely, detailed illustrations that support the text and message. Smallman allows readers to think for themselves as they move through the story. Excellent opportunities for discussion.
The Next Step section at the end is about one of his other books so I'm guessing it's a place holder in the ARC version. If it follows other Smallman books, the discussion questions and activities will be easy for families to follow.

This was a very cute book, with many characters' to keep a little one happily reading. I really loved Mr. Bear and what he represented, along with the colorful illustrations. It's also a very quick read, but with a lot of meaning behind it. The way the world might be at times, when one does a lot without wanting or asking for much, and then becomes too easily forgotten. 

Thankfully, there is great outcome in this story, making the reader even more nostalgic and appreciative. The only thing that got me when it came to this book, was how abrupt the story ended. I felt like there could have been a bit more added to it, because it really felt like the story was cut short. Aside from that, I very much enjoyed this book and the story of helping each other out. 

***I received this copy from QEB Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***

Charmingly illustrated in a lovely textured painting style with a calm and muted tone, Kind Mr Bear is perhaps the single most wholesome picture book I’ve ever encountered. With the sweetest, kindest (while staying imperfect and real) protagonist, which my children fell in love with from the very first page, this heart-warming story tugs at the heartstrings and inspires compassion and pure love.

The text is simple enough for learning readers to take on with minimal assistance, and flows along beautifully from page to page. The words roll easily from the tongue and are infinitely readable - a true blessing for a book that will surely be asked to be read again and again.

Each hand-painted scene feels very natural and personal, filled with clear and bright expressions to help children connect emotionally with the characters in the story, and rich in detail for children not yet reading to enjoy. 

With a happy ending which feels like a warm hug,  really is the perfect picture book for young pre-school and early elementary-aged children to enjoy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved Kind Mr Bear! This was such a touching book with an important lesson. Everyone needs help and kindness! Mr. Bear is always helping others but when he needs help only one little mouse realizes that it would be kind to help him too. Soon the forest animals are at Mr. Bear's help repaying the kindness! Such a good lesson to teach kids! The illustrations were also beautiful. A timeless book with an important lesson.

This was a stunning children's book with a very powerful message about being kind and helping others. I adored this and would recommend it to any child.

Mr. Bear is the kindest of all the forest. Always cheerful and willing to help others at all times. When it rains, his body is like a shelter for the little ones. If someone needs to carry something heavy, There’s Mr Bear to help. Or wheter if it’s an obstacle, he’s coming to the rescue.

He’s always there where you need it, in the right place at the right time. So much so, that his presence and help are taken for granted, as if they were an integral part of the landscape, as a tree. They know that if they call him he’ll come, as if it were his duty more than his will to help. Until one day he gets sick and he needs help.

Mr. Bear is a children’s tale that has reminded me a lot of the classic stories that I used to read when I was a child and that I liked so much. Perhaps it is due to what it tell us o the images that are sensitive, with soft colors and warm that invite you to read and dream. But it has brought me back to childhood for a while.

Kind Mr. Bear shows the children, among other things, that we should be kind and attentive towards to others. Also, that friendship is a very precious asset that we must take care of day to day and never take for granted.

It is a beautiful book and ideal for a gift.


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Mr. Bear es el ser más amable de todo el bosque. Siempre alegre y dispuesto a ayudar a los demás en todo momento. Si llueve, su cuerpo es como un refugio para los más pequeños. Si alguien necesita transportar algo pesado, ahí está Mr. Bear para ayudar. O si se trata de algún obstáculo, ya viene él al rescate. 

Está siempre allí donde se necesita, en el lugar y momento justo. Tanto es así, que su presencia y ayuda se dan por hecho, como si formaran parte integrante del paisaje, como un árbol. Saben que si lo llaman él acudirá, como si fuera su deber más que su voluntad de ayudar. Hasta un día en que enferma y es él quien necesita ayuda. 

Mr. Bear es un cuento infantil que me ha recordado mucho a los cuentos clásicos que leía de pequeña y que tanto me gustaban. Quizás se deba a la historia que encierran sus páginas o a las imágenes que son delicadas, con colores suaves y cálidos que invitan a leer y soñar. Pero me ha devuelto a la infancia durante un rato.

Kind Mr. Bear muestra a los niños, entre otras cosas, que debemos ser amables y atentos con los demás. También, que la amistad es un bien muy preciado que debemos cuidar día a día y nunca dar por sentado. 

Es un libro precioso e ideal para regalo.

I totally loved this book. Before I retired I was a preschool teacher, and with out a doubt would have used this story in my classroom. I firmly believe, especially in this day and age, that all teachers should find it their responsibility to teach our children about more than reading, writing and arithmetic (as it were). Its a sad but undeniable fact, that we our unable and ill-advised in relying on our future generations to grow up learning the types of virtues, values and morals, we desire our leaders of tomorrow being instilled with. And even if they are being taught these very valuable and fundamental lessons at home, as teachers we should be backing up the parents and caregivers in forming the very foundation on which we would have our upcoming world be built on. Well my goodness that's a lot to put on Kind Mr Bear, so let me just add this. I found the illustrations to be absolutely adorable and know with complete certainty that the children will as well..... :o)

When you don't have a car for a week due to a predatory car insurance industry, you can get a LOT of reading done!!			
			
I received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  			
			
From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.			

Kind Mr Bear is very kind. He's always happy to help those in need. But the animals in the forest are so used to him being there, they start to take his help for granted.

Then one day Mr. Bear gets ill and finds himself all alone in his cave. Will anyone come to help him?

Beautifully illustrated, QED Storytime introduces young children to the pleasures of reading and sharing stories. This touching title from award-winning author/illustrator Steve Smallman shows that when it comes to true friends, kindness is something to give as well as receive.

I loved this book - it had such a good story and it made me realize that my multitude of nasty neighbours won't get any visitors if they were in this situation unless they start being kind to their neighbours.  We all have a few neighbours like Mr Bear who are ageing and in need of help and deserve it.  The story was cute and the drawings adorable - I want to buy a copy and frame some of them on my walls!!!   This is the perfect book to give to a child to teach KINDNESS - that is not something they teach in schools but they should. 

	
As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I love emojis (outside of their incessant use by "Social Influencer Millennials" on Instagram and Twitter) so let's give it 🧸🧸🧸🧸🧸

I love this book. It’s much better way of getting the message across than Chicken Little. The story is well told and the illustrations are stunning.

I love this book and the pictures! A cute way to show appreciation and to remember to thank others for their help and to help others in return. This is the type of book that you could “discuss” with kids, would be good for story time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC.

So freaking CUTE!!!
The story is sweet with a great message for tiny humans.
Did I mention the illustrations are absolutely wonderful? Well they are!!!
Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for my DRC.

This is a very short book, illustrated by the author, about a kindly old bear who helps everyone in the forest. He helps recover a kite from a tree(that is, a toy kite, not a bird of the same name!), lift heavy things, and shelter the tiny denizens of the forest from surprise rainstorms. People take Mr Bear for granted until he's not there any more. When he's sick is when people miss him, and finally it dawns on those forest folk that maybe Mr Bear could use some help.

The book was wonderfully-illustrated and the story poignantly told, and I commend it as a worthy read. The only oddity is that in a section in the back, title Next Steps, the discussion topics weren't about Mr Bear, but about Percy and Posy the penguins. I suspect this was put in there as a place-holder for a new discussion page to be written for this particular book, and that has not yet been added since this is an advance review copy. Presumably that will be fixed before the final version is published!

*thank you to Netgalley, Quarto Publishing Group - QEB and Steve Smallman for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*


5 stars.

Ohh such a beauty! This is a really heartfelt story, in sadness and happiness. 

Mr Bear is such a kind hearted bear. He's always there to help out the other animals in the forest and he is always polite, wishing them Good Morning each day. But after awhile, he is taken for granted and not appreciated by the other animals. They stopped saying Thank You. Then one day, he gets sick and the other animals realise just how much Mr Bear means to them.

It is so beautifully told and sends a very important message to children, and as a reminder message to all adults aswell. That message is to be thankful for those that help us, to be there for each other and to remember to always be kind.

The illustrations are just stunning! They are so softly detailed and brilliantly coloured that you could easily just spend time looking at them on each page without reading the words, which makes this a perfect book for children to do just that, if they are unable to read the words by themselves.

I highly recommend this.

A lovely short story teaching young kids the importance of helping one another. Teaching them not to be selfish but to look out for each other. The illustrations are really nice and detailed. However, a part of me feels it’s a one time read and not one to be read regularly.

This book reads like a fable. I used to enjoy reading these as a kid. I think for this modern generation, it would be a suitable book to have in a classroom to teach kindness. It could lead to some discussion about taking people who help us everyday for granted, and the importance of manners. I don't think it's a book kids will get terribly excited about and ask to read over and over--but I think it serves its purpose nicely.

Mr Bear is a staple in the neighbourhood.  All the animals know him, love him and have come to rely upon him for help.  Over time, as Mr Bear is getting older, the animals are beginning to take advantage of him.  There are less "Pleases" and "Thank you's" and more "Mr Bear, where are you"s?

What happens when old Mr Bear gets a cold?  Who will be there to care for him they way he cares for his neighbours?

This delightful, thoughtful and heart warming story comes from an experienced author and illustrator.  Steve Smallman has many books under his belt and they are all brilliant.  This one is no exception!

Kind Mr Bear is a perfect read aloud book and an excellent empathy builder.  

The illustrations are simply beautiful and they bring this simple story of friendship to life.  
I would definitely recommend this for all KS1 classrooms and school libraries.

Love this book! I loved thinking there would be a next step to it but that part was not referring to this story. Might be because it is a preview copy. Would love to use this book for story time.