The Very Cranky Bear [Hardcover]

Nick Bland's expressive, adorable illustrations complement delightful, rhyming, read-aloud text in this lesson about the importance of sharing with others.

Moose, Lion, Zebra, and Sheep take shelter in a cave on a cold and rainy day, only to realize that a bear is there. The bear roars loudly and says that he is trying to sleep. Not understanding why the bear is so cranky, the other animals come up with ways to cheer up the bear. Moose finds antlers for him, Lion gives him a mane, and Zebra paints on stripes. Is there anything the four well-meaning friends can do to help the bear sleep?

I LOST MY KISSES (by Trudie Trewin and illustrated by Nick Bland)

The delightful gouache and graphite-pencil illustrations, set against wide, white backgrounds, have both humor and heft. --BOOKLIST

Bland's mainly pencil illustrations are livened up with splashes of subtle watercolors. The abundant white space and style of drawing are reminiscent of Ian Falconer's OLIVIA and just as endearing. The attention to detail and facial expressions are exceptional. --CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

Nick Bland always wanted to be a writer and a cartoonist, but it wasn't until he started working in a bookstore and rediscovered children's literature that he found a way to channel this ambition. He is the author of THE RUNAWAY HUG and the illustrator of I LOST MY KISSES. Nick lives in the jungle near Darwin, Australia.