Five cuddly teddy bears solve the problem of sharing four chairs in an irresistible rhyming picture book.
Four teddy bears enjoy four small chairs until Big Brown Bear looks for a chair and no chair is there. The book evokes compassion and problem solving as the four little bears discover they can scoot their chairs together to form a bench where "Now it's fair, the bears all share!"
An internet reviewer LittleOneLit.com said in their review: Tired of Goodnight Moon and Pat the Bunny? Expand your library with the soon-to-be classic Bears on Chairs. The endearing story of five bears learning to share four chairs is sweet, simple and guaranteed to work its way into your nightly rotation. Parents and kids alike will love Shirely Parenteau's charming rhymes and David Walker's colorful, engaging illustrations.
Excerpt
That big bear
needs one whole chair.
There's none to spare
for Big Brown Bear.
There's room up there
for all five bears!
Now it's fair!
The bears all share!
Professional Reviews
Kirkus
"Four small chairs/just right for bears.'Where is the bear/for each small chair?" One by one, Calico, Fuzzy, Yellow and Floppy Bears take their seats, but what to do when Big Brown Bear shows up and there's no chair? Parenteau's rhythm and rhyme never falter as the bears experiment with different seating configurations that might accommodate all five bear bottoms. Walker positions his soft-edged, pastel-colored bears (and their chairs) against a clean white background, their overlarge heads and comforting smiles immediately in tune with toddlers' aesthetics. ... (The bear's) cooperative approach will appear revolutionary to the book's target audience. Between the unerringly positive approach to a common early-childhood dilemma and the can't-miss rhyme, this volume will likely find its place on many a daycare shelf.
School Library Journal
... Parenteau's brief rhythmic text is bouncy and light, and ideal for reading aloud. Themes of sharing and compassion are introduced in developmentally appropriate, subtle ways, and the bears' discovery of their own resolution is a refreshing conclusion to the story. ...
Publisher's Weekly
... Parenteau's rhyming text is simple enough for a preschool audience, and the lesson the bears model about sharing will be welcomed by many teachers and parents.
