A Splendid Friend, Indeed (Goose and Bear Stories)

by Suzanne Bloom

Hardcover, 2005

Status

Available

Publication

Boyds Mills Press (2005), 32 pages

Description

When a studious polar bear meets an inquisitive goose, they learn to be friends.

User reviews

LibraryThing member katrinafroelich

Using a few perfect words, Bloom clearly expresses the relationship between Goose and Bear -- which is brilliantly captured in the expressive illustrations. Goose persistently interrupts and seeks attention, Bear suppresses his anger and frustration -- until he sees and hears how much Goose really

loves him. It is a lovely honest portrayal of friendship.

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LibraryThing member susanmartling

Great positive intro to reading and writing and the ease of poetry. Activity: Write your own letter to a splendid friend and tell them how you feel about them. Read aloud and discuss these characters and their unlikely friendship.

LibraryThing member allie_mansfield

The reading was very simple to follow. The pictures were very bold and cheery. I think this book suits well for kindergarten students.

LibraryThing member justine87

It is a cute story that I think kids can have fun with

LibraryThing member h_clark

I was surprised how great a story this was with so few words. The illustrations help the reader to understand the thoughts of both duck and polar bear. I think this is a great story to teach kids about friendship and kindness to others.

LibraryThing member corinne331

When a studious polar bear meets an inquisitive goose, they learn to be friends.

LibraryThing member sskillman07

This book is fantasy, and also an example of personification, it is both of these things because it has a goose and bear who are friends, and who are speaking, reading, writing, and preparing food. These are all human characteristics that the animals would not be able to do. The setting is

background, it does not matter where or when it takes place. The medium used in this book was pastel.

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LibraryThing member jscheper

Duck is very anxious to have fun. Whatever Bear is doing, Duck wants to join in on. Bear wants to read and write and Duck joins in, annoying Bear. Duck writes Bear a letter about how Duck likes Bear and how Bear is Duck's special friend. Bear is sad that he was mad at Duck and ends up sharing a

great big hug with his splendid friend.

The pastel illustrations in this book are great. The story is very heartwarming and sweet. This is a great find. The illustrations and story are both timeless. A good share for the classroom and a good addition to a home library,

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LibraryThing member MarissaFay

I liked this book because the words were there, but they weren't really necessary. I think it would be an easy book for a child to figure out, even if they weren't reading. Additionally, the illustrations were great. I liked the texture of Bear, and the contrast in size between Bear and Goose.

LibraryThing member claseliteratura

Duck and bear have a lot of things in common. They both like to read, write and think. Duck wants to talk,talk,talk and bear wants to read, write and think. At the end they become friends.

LibraryThing member funkigurli

LibraryThing member Pusparani

This book is a delightful read-aloud book about friendship. It is a story about a big white furry polar bear and his friend, a goose who is very curious on what he is doing. The goose who feels annoyed of the polar bear read a sweet note that says: “I like you. Indeed I do. You are my splendid

friend.” Then they hug each other and feel the togetherness among them. Bloom’s illustrations are done in textured pastels with a bright blue color as the background. The big shape of Polar Bear and small size of Goose are drawn with soft lines, and diagonal lines capture the movement. The illustration portrays the simplicity of the story, and also makes the readers comfortable. Some of the words rhyme which allows early readers to improve their literary skills. Children will enjoy this book as much as I do.

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LibraryThing member shannanjones79

We see a wonderful friendship between a duck and polar bear. The bear is reading, writing and thinking. The duck wants to do everything just the same as he is. Duck wants to share snacks with Bear and writes Bear a note telling him that he is his most splendid friend. Bear feels the same way about

Duck

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LibraryThing member Jingjing

This book is a good modern fantasy, read aloud book for kids because the plot, which two animals talk to each other, read, write, is not going to happen in the real world. The bear, and the duck have human characteristics in this story.
Age: Primary
Media: Gouache
Plot: Logical sequence

LibraryThing member anneklee

This was a delightful book about a relationship between two friends, one who is always trying to be like the older friend. Goose is always trying to keep up with Bear, taking his book and reading it for himself, being loud and clumsy when Bear is trying to relax. This book is very energetic and the

artwork flows nicely with the text.

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LibraryThing member dangerlibearian

Minimal text, 1st book featuring Polar Bear and Goose. Goose is very annoying but eventually she and Polar Bear become friends.

LibraryThing member egv

A story about a duck who doesn't mean to be a bother to his friend the polar bear.

LibraryThing member trevordyett

a. Summary: This is a book with two characters; a white duck and a polar bear. The duck is a little pushy and wants to have his nose in polar bears activities. Polar bear turns away and starts writing, duck leaves to get a snack. When duck returns he reads a note to polar bear that makes him

happy.
b. Review: The illustrations in this picture book capture great emotion from the characters. The background is soft hues of blue that complement this simple fun story. We all have friends that get intrusive and annoying at times, but in the end they are still our friends and we like them.
c. School Use: After reading this book aloud the class could have a discussion, without using names, about how friends can be fun and also how friends can be annoying. Another topic could be how friends can show each other respect.

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LibraryThing member Johnika

This is a great picture book for children with “older sibling being bother by a younger inquisitive sibling” syndrome. It’s a tale of a small Goose wanting to know and act out everything his friend the Polar Bear is doing, “Now what are you going? Writhing? I like to write.” It’s

extremely obvious that the Polar Bear growing quite irritated by the Goose inquisitive nature. But in the end, the Goose writes a note expressing how splendid he is to have a friend like bear.
Received a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book Award
Very colorful
Great read out loud for bed time/reading circle
Recommended for children ages 4 to 8

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LibraryThing member huertaen

This is a quick story about a duck and a bear that share a snack. It's a fun read and the illustrations are so deep and vivid because they are done with oil pastel. It is a book mainly about two friends but also about reading, writing, and thinking. The duck at first annoys the bear, until the bear

listens to the letter the duck has written him and realizes that they are both splendid friends, indeed. I chose this book mainly because it was a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor book. USE: entertainment, lesson on friendship.

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LibraryThing member ZacWoodruff

Very vividly colored oil pastel illustrations which give the book a very warm and friendly feel. I enjoyed the story of the eager goose who is trying to make friends with a crabby polar bear. Over time, the goose makes friends with the bear and it's a happy ending! Very cute story!

LibraryThing member kay_mccay

Suzanne Bloom does a remarkable job of building a story and conveying a message through such lively artwork and subtle text. The duck and the bear are incredibly different, but they find compatibility in that. This book speaks to friendships that are created out of differences/diversity.

Friendships can come from two persons that society may not see as "normal" or compatible, or even who may not have much in common, but this doesn't make the friendships any less epic. Because of the simple text, I would recommend this book for children up to 2nd grade.

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LibraryThing member angelabotha

This is a simple yet absolutely adorable story of a goose who so very much wants to be friends with a polar bear. For most of the book the polar bear seems less than thrilled to be the recipient of the goose's interest. He seems to want to be left alone, overwhelmed by all the attention the goose

is giving him. However, when the goose finally writes him a note that says "I like you...you are my splendid friend", the bear seems surprised and genuinely receptive to such a nice, kind sentiment. He responds in kind "I like you too, Indeed, I do."

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LibraryThing member jbeliel10

Review: " A Splendid Friend, Indeed" is a short picture book about the friendship of a polar bear and a Goose who have to learn to care about what the other is doing in order to maintain a healthy friendship.

Genre: Fantasy

Genre Critique: This book is an example of fantasy because it has elements

of fantasy which includes animals who display human characteristics such as talking, reading, and writing.

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LibraryThing member hcurrey

Bloom creates a charming little vignette that teaches little ones patience, tolerance, and basic manners. It could be a good lesson on body language, facial expressions, etc.

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