The very clever bear by Nick Bland

A poster calling for animals to join the ranks of the circus encourages those in the jungle and wood to audition. Elephant can belly dance, Lion can juggle, and Moose can play magic tricks. But Bear has no skills to offer. He goes off and finds a bicycle on which he practices a host of tricks to take to the circus. But they do not want him: they already have Panda who cycles on one wheel, not two, so Bear is sent away. He rummages in the river and fishes out a supermarket trolley. He repurposes the single wheel and makes himself a one wheeled cycle with which to wow the circus people. But when he gets to the circus he finds his friends are most unhappy. They are not doing the acts they perfected, but are being used in a series of acts in which they are laughed at and abused. Elephant is made to do a handstand, Moose is stuffed into a canon, while Lion is being poked at with a chair, expected to jump through a fiery hoop, and Panda is hanging from a trapeze swing without a safety net. Bear takes action. He pedals his cycle to Lion and hosts him on his shoulders, Bruce the Goose is swept up, and Panda taken from the high wire, after Elephant stands on the seesaw launching Bear and the cycle and his companions into the air. So Bear heads for the wood with a very heavy and relieved load.

In wonderful rhyming verses, this lovely story unfolds. Full of bravery and looking out for your friends, the Bear does not think of his own safety, but is spurred into action when he sees what has happened to his friends.

Beautiful illustrations capture the essence of an old fashioned circus which younger readers will not have seen. So this book opens up the possibility of talking about why circuses have changed. The animals are amazing, their excitement shown on their faces, while Bear’s trepidation at learning his new skills equally obvious.

The striped tent is shown on many pages, and the last line gives Bear’s hope that he never sees another, the tent now packed up and being taken away by the three foxes on a bike, this one a tricycle.

Lots of fun will be had using this book. Apart from predicting the rhyming word, which kids love to do, they will also come across new ideas to be discussed, love the animals and cheer when Bear saves the day. 

Themes: Circuses, Circus animals, Circus tricks, Friendship, Bravery.

Fran Knight