Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?: A beloved classic picture book about night-time fears from the legendary author of OWL BABIES, perfect for little bears and their dads to share at bedtime

Childhood favourite

I bought this book to use as a topic for my class, to learn about light and dark and narrative. The children loved this story and so did I, it is about a little bear who cannot go to sleep because he is afraid of the dark. The story is about big bear trying to solve this problem until eventually he falls asleep. The book is beautifully illustrated and the language is good in the story. I also used this book to introduce the children to questions and how we know what they are and when someone is asking a question. From an educational point of view this book offers a lot. The book also made the children laugh and they identified the repetition which they enjoyed joining in with. The children were glued to the book as it was being read and were interested in finding out what was going to happen to help little bear fall asleep. Some children identified with the story as they found the dark scary. This also helped them to see that there is nothing to be frightened of, and reassured them. I love this book as it is brilliant for combining literacy with the science topic light and dark.

Lovely reading book which helped me explain the dark to my daughter, re bought this book to read to my new granddaughter

A great little read

All books I knew and the check out and free delivery were all perfect

Little Bear is afraid of the dark: the dark is sooo big, and not even the biggest lantern can dispel it. What can the Big Bear do? This is a sweet, enchanting book, perfect for bedtime reading, suitable for older toddlers and younger pre-schoolers alike. Most little children have gone through a period of repeatedly getting out of bed and demanding something from the parents (even if it wasn't an increasingly bigger lantern). I don't think this title is a particularly great solution for children terribly afraid of the dark, although they (as will those with only mild worries) will be able to relate to Little Bear's fears. The reassurance is there, but it's not the main point, the main point being a STORY being told to the reader in words and pictures. The illustrations are typically cute, but just about this side of nauseating, and the text is nicely repetitive which all little children (but not always their parents, sadly) like. I loved the final, out of the cave in the starry night tableau, though the solution to sleeping My little boy likes it, but not madly so, thus a 4 star rating, and a moderately enthusiastic recommendation for buying as a good bedtime story for 2 to 4 year olds.

A lovely book to read for my grandson

I ordered this book and DVD set shortly after it had sadly gone out of production in 2009, and pretty much forgot about it. When Amazon informed me it was available again in early 2011, I happily accepted the offer and it arrived a few days later. I'm so, so glad it did. My 2 year old son is absolutely enchanted by the whole package. The DVD is short but beautiful, using the original pictures from the book with a little animation, soothing narration and gentle backing music to tell the story. My son loves to cuddle up with me under a blanket to share a special moment watching the story before bedtime. Even if he's seen the DVD that night, though, there's nothing like a bedtime story from mum - and this book has fast become one of his very favourites. From the opening line common to all the "Little Bear" stories, through Little Bear's fear of the dark and Big Bear's reassurance and care, to the final moments where Big Bear says he's brought Little Bear "the bright yellow moon, and all the stars" to light the darkness...it's just a lovely, gentle, heartwarming story. Barbara Firth's illustrations, of course, are stunning and pitched just right for such a soothing tale. At the price I bought this set for from Amazon (5.99, free delivery) it's a real bargain, considering the amount of pleasure it's already given my little boy. I highly recommend it. After falling in love with this one, I've just ordered a hardback copy of all the Little Bear stories, and look forward to seeing my little boy's face when it arrives.