Bear wishes he could fly like Little Bird. Little Bird longs to be big and strong like Bear. So Bear and Little Bird strike a bargain. Bear agrees to teach Little Bird how to be big and strong. And Little Bird agrees to teach Bear how to fly! Will the two best friends see their dreams come true?

Bear wishes he could fly like Little Bird. Little Bird wants to be big and strong, like Bear. So the two friends make an agreement: Bear will show Little Bird how to be big and Little Bird will show Bear how to fly.

Although Bear and Little Bird each get their wish, it isn’t quite in the way they expected. Young readers will enjoy seeing how the two friends work together and how they each get their wish. Love and friendship lie at the heart of this tender tale, a gentle fable for young readers on the joy of having friends, of working together to accomplish something, of keeping a promise. Creativity, imagination, and inventiveness take center stage in this delightfully charming tale.

Highly recommended. ( )

“Bears Bargain” was written by Frank Asch. It’s about Bear helping Little Bird, and they help each other. I like it because they are helping each other together and being friendly to each other. I like that they’re thoughtful to each other, kind, and super helpful. I think some people will like this book because it is a fast read. I enjoyed this book! I give this book five stars! - Janice Kim, Sunflower Class, February 2018

Absolutely wonderful. Def. the best 'Bear' book by Asch. I wish I'd known about it when my boys were tots - apparently my library had others and I assumed they had all so didn't look further.

Anyway, I really love the emphasis here on hard work, patience, & perseverance. Our heroes don't know they're working hard; they're being friends and enjoying the satisfaction of accomplishment. Nowadays too much emphasis is placed on the dichotomy of work vs. play, and no matter how many vacations we take or how many toys we buy, we're never satisfied. We, as a society, need to find ways to make our jobs more empowering & satisfying, so we can take true pleasure from that part of our lives, too.

I'm saving this book for my (hypothetical) grandchild. ( )

Bear and Little Bird decide to help each other. Bear teaches Little Bird how to get big. He carves her into a little pumpkin and grows to get big. Little Bird teaches Bear how to fly. He makes a kite with a picture of him and flies it in the sky.