Cover Image: The Snow Bear

The Snow Bear

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Member Reviews

Sweet book with beautiful illustrations. Very special story and perfect for readers of any age. Lovely read!

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On a day not so very far from Christmas morning, Sara wanders her Grandpa's curious cottage, full of odd trinkets gathered from his time spent in the Arctic. But more than all the wonders that Sara might find tucked away, she treasures her Grandpa's stories. One bitterly cold night, after Sara receives devastating news, the pair wander out into a homemade igloo, where, nestled under blankets, Grandpa once again tells her favorite story of the snow bear. Only, as Sara begins to drift off to sleep, something altogether unexpected happens... The Snow Bear is a delightful read that invites readers to imagine and play with young Sara in the freshly fallen snow. With charming pictures to accompany it, this tale brings the whimsy and wonder that our hearts need most in the winter season.

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The Snow Bear

by Holly Webb
Illustrated by Artful Doodlers

Do you want to share information about the Arctic with the children in your life in an engaging way? The Snow Bear by Holly Webb is a great way to do it. Sara goes to visit her grandfather who lives on a cliffside in Canada. As it snows, he talks with Sara about going to the Arctic when he was a boy with his father to record the life and customs of the Inuits living in the Arctic as Sara’s great-grandfather could already see the old ways disappearing.

When Sara goes to bed that night, she dreams herself into the stories Grandpa told her and has her own experiences which bring the Arctic to life for her. She rescues a cub, falls into a crevasse, and shares a warming Inuit soup.

The Snow Bear is a chapter book. I think children would benefit from reading this with an adult as they look at a map of the Arctic and discuss the terms used. An Internet search of corresponding images for items such as “Arctic tern” and “quilliq" would be helpful too. Although the story is fictional, there is much information included.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Myrick Books/Tiger Tales for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Children’s Fiction

Notes: 1. The illustrations did not show up well in my Advanced Reader Copy, but the sample line drawings shown on Amazon were perfect for this story.
2. This is the first book I have read by Holly Webb, but I discovered she is a prolific children’s author with books suitable for all the various ages.
3. I also learned that Artful Doodlers is responsible for many of the illustrations that children’s book lovers cherish.
4. This book is part of a Wintry Tales Series.



Publication: October 1, 2019— Myrick Books/Tiger Tales

Memorable Lines:
“That’s why we went. We wanted to record it all, before it changed forever.”

…the nearest dog, who was curled up in the snow, with his tail wrapped tightly around his nose and his paws. Sara had never seen a dog curl up so small—he looked almost like a cat. “They can sleep through a blizzard like that. And they have to stay out—they’re our guard dogs, too. They let us know if there’s a polar bear around.”

“We always share what we have,” Alignak said, sounding almost surprised. “Food belongs to everyone who needs it.”

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My Review: I love folktale like stories and this one sounded like it was along those lines, so I was excited to pick it up. It was longer than I expected but it was a great read for a snowy winter afternoon. I loved the way Webb integrated a modern story with a folk tale like story. Young readers will enjoy the adventure and at the same time will be learning about life in the arctic circle. I also appreciate all the facts and information at the end of the story, about animals and human life as well as some history and information about the Inuit culture. The illustrations are simple and yet beautiful throughout the story. This would be a great book for young readers around the age of 6-8 but can be enjoyed by all.



My Rating: I really enjoyed reading this one, it was so atmospheric. It was a great adventure with a mix of learning opportunities. I give it a rating of Four Paws!

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This is a really sweet story revolving around Sara and her grandfather. He teaches her many things (and the reader too!) through his stories and Sara learns many new things. Sara gets worried when a heavy snowfall means that she might not be able to get back to her parents to spend Christmas with them.

A book for culture, dreams, hopes and family, this is a wonderful short chapter book for kids. Beautiful illustrations help to bring the story to life. I highly recommend this book for the special kids in your life.

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Sara is staying with her grandfather and she becomes homesick, but when she wakes up to see that snow has fallen she is very excited. However, her excitement turns to panic when she realizes that she may not be able to make it home to her parents in time for Christmas. Her grandfather builds them an igloo and Sara builds a polar bear and he recalls the story of when he was young and met an Inuit family and a baby polar bear that they named Peter. What happens when they wake up and Sara's polar bear is now real? And will she make it home in time to be with her family for Christmas?

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Sweet tale! I think littles just beginning to read short chapter books will enjoy this story. I was attracted by the cover of this book, which shows in color and, knowing jr. fiction books have illustrations, assumed all the illustration in my Kindle would be in color in the actual book. Apparently they aren't. Sad if true. Still I enjoy stories that have a child and their grandparent spending time together learning from and inspiring each other. Good story.

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Cute little chapter book about Inuits, igloos, and fairy tales of the polar bear. The ending had a lovely bit of nonfiction facts relating to the story that kids will enjoy reading to tie in with the fantasy. The pictures were cute and hoping they will be in color after production to match the front cover more.

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Having read a couple of Holly Webb’s other books I thought I knew what to expect from The Snow Bear. This story exceeded my expectations. It includes some geography and history within the story through Grandpa’s memories and tales. While it is a fiction story so no doubt some liberties could have been taken I loved reading the parts f Grandpa and Sara together. Others in the family loved the parts of Sara with Peter, the polar bear.

Fun read that inspires the young and old to appreciate each other as well as welcoming changes in life. A third grade student should be able to read this with not problem but a younger child may enjoy hearing this chapter book over several days. We all thought it was an adorable story while dreaming of our own adventures. Certainly one of our favorite books written by Holly Webb.

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An endearing read for children of all ages. The love between a grandpa and granddaughter is highlighted beautifully within the backdrop of the Canadian Arctic and a polar bear looking for his mama.

A bonus is a piece of educational information on polar bears and other arctic animals at the end of the book. A perfect book for an elementary classroom.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

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Wonderful book! My 7 year old daughter was enchanted by the story and the illustrations. Highly recommended!

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