Bear wants to sing his song, but the other animals won't give him a chance to perform his masterwork in this delightful picture book companion to the critically acclaimed King Mouse.
A bear finds a ukulele in the woods. It makes a nice sound -- PLINK! -- and inspires him to write his own song. His friend Mouse would love to hear it. But Bear isn't the only animal in the forest to find musical inspiration that day, and Snake, Crow and Tortoise keep taking his turn to perform. When they finally give him the opportunity and meet his song with less enthusiasm than he'd like, the discouraged bear shelves his music career forever . . . but the kindness, empathy and appreciation of his best friend will prove that his art deserves recognition and can even inspire others.
This dryly humorous and sweetly profound collaboration between two critically acclaimed children's book creators, a follow-up to the masterful King Mouse, has the makings of a modern classic.
SELECTION
| 2022 Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
FINALIST
| 2022 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award
AWARD
| 2022 CLEL Bell Picture Book Awards
NOMINEE
| 2021 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer/Illustrator Award
"Sparkling whimsy . . . a delicate story full of humor and friendship." —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews
"This tender tale of creativity, manners, and nurturing friendship by the creators of King Mouse has all the makings of a contemporary classic." —STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly
"Bear Wants to Sing celebrates kindness and the joys of expressing yourself in the presence of those you love." —STARRED REVIEW, CM: Canadian Review of Materials
CARY FAGAN's numerous kids' books include The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster, which was a JLG selection, the Kaspar Snit novels, the Wolfie & Fly chapter books, and the picture books Water, Water, Little Blue Chair, What Are You Doing, Benny?, King Mouse, which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award, and Bear Wants to Sing. Mr. Zinger's Hat, another of his picture books, was awarded the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He has also won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his body of work. Cary was born and raised in Toronto, where he continues to live with his family.
View titles by Cary Fagan
DENA SEIFERLING is a highly acclaimed picture book author and illustrator and needle-felt artist who graduated with a B.F.A. and Visual Communications Degree from the Alberta University of the Arts, where she now works as an instructor. She is the illustrator of King Mouse, which was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award, and its companion book Bear Wants to Sing. The Language of Flowers marks her exquisite debut as both author and illustrator.
View titles by Dena Seiferling
Bear wants to sing his song, but the other animals won't give him a chance to perform his masterwork in this delightful picture book companion to the critically acclaimed King Mouse.
A bear finds a ukulele in the woods. It makes a nice sound -- PLINK! -- and inspires him to write his own song. His friend Mouse would love to hear it. But Bear isn't the only animal in the forest to find musical inspiration that day, and Snake, Crow and Tortoise keep taking his turn to perform. When they finally give him the opportunity and meet his song with less enthusiasm than he'd like, the discouraged bear shelves his music career forever . . . but the kindness, empathy and appreciation of his best friend will prove that his art deserves recognition and can even inspire others.
This dryly humorous and sweetly profound collaboration between two critically acclaimed children's book creators, a follow-up to the masterful King Mouse, has the makings of a modern classic.
Awards
SELECTION
| 2022 Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
FINALIST
| 2022 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award
AWARD
| 2022 CLEL Bell Picture Book Awards
NOMINEE
| 2021 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer/Illustrator Award
Reviews
"Sparkling whimsy . . . a delicate story full of humor and friendship." —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews
"This tender tale of creativity, manners, and nurturing friendship by the creators of King Mouse has all the makings of a contemporary classic." —STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly
"Bear Wants to Sing celebrates kindness and the joys of expressing yourself in the presence of those you love." —STARRED REVIEW, CM: Canadian Review of Materials
CARY FAGAN's numerous kids' books include The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster, which was a JLG selection, the Kaspar Snit novels, the Wolfie & Fly chapter books, and the picture books Water, Water, Little Blue Chair, What Are You Doing, Benny?, King Mouse, which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award, and Bear Wants to Sing. Mr. Zinger's Hat, another of his picture books, was awarded the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He has also won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his body of work. Cary was born and raised in Toronto, where he continues to live with his family.
View titles by Cary Fagan
DENA SEIFERLING is a highly acclaimed picture book author and illustrator and needle-felt artist who graduated with a B.F.A. and Visual Communications Degree from the Alberta University of the Arts, where she now works as an instructor. She is the illustrator of King Mouse, which was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award, and its companion book Bear Wants to Sing. The Language of Flowers marks her exquisite debut as both author and illustrator.
View titles by Dena Seiferling
