Prince Bear and Pauper Bear…Teaching Kids About Love and Friendship
How can we teach kids about love and friendship?
- By being great role models and treating our friends with love and respect
- By giving our children respect and attention and expecting the same from them
- By reading stories that deliver this important message
Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday…an opportunity for me to share a book with you that teaches kids about love and friendship…come and join Susanna Leonard Hill’s fantastic group of picture book writers, illustrators, librarians and others who contribute a picture book review.
February is a month that is chockfull with special days. Thursday, February 14 is Valentine’s Day…which is all about love…but it is also International Book Giving Day…which is all about getting books into the hands of children who have none.
I want to help young children become lovers of books and reading…and a child must have a book in order to fall in love with it.
Last year, I donated to Reach Out and Read, Sit Together and Read and Books for Africa.
In honor of International Book Giving Day and Valentine’s Day, I am donating $25 to provide books for kids…but I would like your help in choosing where the money goes. Do you have a favorite organization that supports this cause? Please leave a comment on my blog and tell me why your favorite should get the money. I will use Random.org and the winner will be announced in next Friday’s post.
Today’s Perfect Picture Book celebrates love and friendship…and is written by a children’s author and blogger I connected with last year. Emily Lim is now a member of 12×12 and is one of the featured speakers at the 2013 Asian Festival of Children’s Content. If you’d like to find out more about her and the many beautiful books she has written, you can visit her blog. When the book first came out, Emily appeared on TV, talking about how she came to write the book.
Prince Bear and Pauper Bear
Written by Emily Lim
Illustrated by Neal Sharp
Publisher: Mustard Seed Books (2007)
Ages: 2 and up
Themes:
Friendship, love, self-esteem, believe in oneself, caring about others, sharing
Synopsis:
From Amazon’s book page: “Pauper Bear is a sad little teddy bear who longs to be loved whilst Prince Bear is a proud teddy bear who loves himself. When their paths take different turns, the two bears discover that things do not happen as they expect… Prince Bear & Pauper Bear has been awarded the Bronze Medal (Children’s Picture Books category) at the 2008 IPPY Awards (World’s largest independent publishers book awards).”
Why do I like this book:
All kids love teddy bears…and here is a timeless story about two bears who are as different as day and night. Kids will cheer when Pauper Bear is carried home and lovingly cared for by his new owner. The illustrations are sweet and clever and clean and simple, with muted tones (a perfect bedtime story) and bold lines. The pictures are so expressive that we can tell what the teddy bears are thinking, even without reading the words. The author has given us a fresh perspective on the classic story of The Prince and the Pauper, with a book that kids will want to hear over and over again. Unfortunately, the book has limited availability here in the States…I was lucky to get a copy on Amazon and I plan to use it for the fall semester in my school programs.
Related Activities:
TEDDY BEAR PAPER BAG PUPPET
Photo courtesy www.dltk-kids.com
You will need: 1 paper lunch bag, construction paper, markers or crayons, scissors and glue.
A paper bag is an amazing craft resource. Depending on the age of the child, you can make this puppet as simple or as intricate as you wish. If you want templates for the arms, ears, etc…please go to: http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/teddy/mbearbag.html
If not, you can just cut out approximate-sized pieces from a piece of construction paper.
- Cut out arms, ears, eyes, etc. from construction paper.
- Glue onto the paper bag in the appropriate places.
- If you’d like to make this a Valentine Bear Puppet, you can cut out a heart and glue onto the front, instead of the bow tie or the stomach…wherever you choose.
- Make one with your child so that you each will have one…then you can role-play…retelling the story of Prince Bear and Pauper Bear.
Great teddy bear Valentine’s Day crafts from DLTK: http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/mheartbear.htm
More teddy bear Valentine’s Day drafts here: http://parenting.leehansen.com/holidays/valentine/kids_valentines/index.shtml
And more here: http://dreamlandmagic.soniacjensen.com/valentine/valentine_teddy_pin.html
Wonderful resource website here: http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/bears-crafts-ideas-activities.html
Last link for teddy bear Valentine’s day crafts here: http://www.ehow.com/info_12100662_teddy-bear-valentine-arts-crafts-preschoolers.html
Okay…I lied…here is one more: http://easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.com/2012/07/teddy-bear-puppet-craft.html
And this one has a template you can print out for a bear with movable arms and legs: http://www.storyplace.org/preschool/activities/takehometeddy.asp
Show Me How! No batteries required…powered by a child’s imagination! Click this link to purchase a copy
Related articles
- Valentine’s Day Teddy Bear Valued At $30,000 Hits The Couch (newyork.cbslocal.com)
Posted on February 7, 2013, in Crafting with Children, GIVEAWAYS, Perfect Picture Book Friday, Uncategorized and tagged Children's author Emily Lim, Friendship, International Book Giving Day, Love, Prince Bear and Pauper Bear, Valentine's Day. Bookmark the permalink. 33 Comments.
Always such great ideas Vivian. Even if I have no small children around, fun to read.
Thanks, Dawn…do you want to nominate a charity or organization that gives books to kids?
I felt like I would be taking away from organizations that other readers are really involved with… when I’m not in the arena anymore. I do have a friend who works with the Nooksack tribe in our area. They have very little, and new books are hard won. I’m sure they would appreciate books for their kids and parents.
Dawn, the Nooksack tribe sounds like a wonderful place for new books for kids…they are entered in the nominations.:)
Thanks Vivian. I’ll let my friend know. She recently contacted us, asking for any kind of donation… items they could give as rewards for efforts at school. She’ll be thrilled, I think.
Great, Dawn…we’ll see who gets the $25 in next Friday’s post.:)
Can’t wait! Have a great weekend V, and stay safe and warm… that giant storm is something to be reckoned with!
Beautiful book and great craft idea, Vivian. Just perfect for Perfect Picture Book Friday.
Big Brother Mouse is trying to get books to kids in the jungle of Laos who never see them.
Thank you so much, Diane…glad you liked the book and craft. And thanks for nominating Big Brother Mouse to receive the $25 to buy books for kids…they are entered.
I just read an abridged version of The Prince and The Pauper. It’s nothing like the Disney Mickey Mouse version… Plus it’s by Mark Twain!
I am going to try this book too. It looks cute!
Thanks, Erik! I’m so happy that you are always reading great books!
We picked similar themes on friendship. And as always, I look forward to your activis. Kids will have so much fun with the bear crafts!
Thanks, Pat! Glad you liked the activity. Paper bags are so versatile when it comes to making kid’s crafts.:)
Vivian this looks like a must read for me, especially the way you describe the illustrations.
Glad you liked it, Laura! Would you like to nominate a literacy organization to receive the $25 prize?
Hi Vivian,
Your grandchildren are adorable, especially since they are sharing and respecting one another. Love the book and the paper bag bear.
Happy Valentine’s Day a few days early.
Thanks, Tracy! They are wonderful together (twins of course). Both immensely into skating…he into ice hockey…she into figure skating.:) Happy Valentine’s Day to you as well. Is there a literacy organization you would like to nominate to receive the $25?
Pauper Bear reminded me a little bit of the classic Corduroy. Good messages in both.
Books for Africa is my charity choice.
Yes, Wendy…bear books are wonderful mediums for sharing messages with little ones. Books for Africa is a wonderful literacy organization…thank you for nominating them.:)
Vivian
Thanks for featuring my book – I was thrilled to see your review here!
I’ve donated copies of Prince Bear & Pauper Bear to the non-profit National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association in the US – it’s the voice condition I was afflicted with and inspired this story. All proceeds goes to NSDA for its medical search and support of people with this voice disorder.
http://www.dysphonia.org/merchandise.php
Sending two bear hugs this way!
Emily
Thanks so much for stopping by, Emily! Glad you like the review…I LOVE the book.:) I can’t wait to use it next semester in my school programs…it will be perfect.
I will enter the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association in the nominations to win the $25.:)
Wonderful craft idea, Vivian. And your Valentine’s Donation for Books will be appreciated . . . whichever charity wins. Go you!
Thanks, Nancy…it’s also to recognize International Book Giving Day.:) Any nomination from you? There are so many worthy literacy organizations…I did this also so I would discover new ones.:)
The title makes me want to jump out of my seat! Too bad I can’t find it in the library catalog.
I know, Julie. The distribution here in the US is not widespread…I was lucky to find a copy on Amazon at a reasonable price. I’ll ask Emily how people can get a copy…maybe there is another distributor in the Asian market that could make it available in the US.:)
That looks like a sweet book and I really like the accompanying craft. The things you can do with brown paper lunch bags!!
There are so many great causes – where do you start? We threw our support behind Shelly Darmanin and her dedication in getting books shipped to needy children in Fiji. We posted about it on our website. They are still seeking donations for the cost of physically shipping the books (300 cartons worth!). So, that’s my two cents! Tweeting…
http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/international-book-giving-day-2013/
Thanks for stopping by Renee…I read all about the work Shelly Darmanin is doing…you did a wonderful blog post about it. And I think people don’t realize that when they donate books to an organization…the books need to be shipped by the organization…and that costs money.:) I appreciate the Tweet.:)
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