More Bears! (Hardcover) (Kenn Nesbitt)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Once upon a time there was a story. It was a lovely story with absolutely NO BEARS in it-not a SINGLE BEAR anywhere.

Then one day...MORE BEARS!

KENN NESBITT is possibly the funniest and most sought-after children's poet writing today. When he's not writing, podcasting, updating his website (poetry4kids.com), or visiting schools sharing his wacky brand of humor with kids across America, Kenn can be found cuddling his collection of stuffed bears. He seriously cannot get enough of bears. Or chickens.

TROY CUMMINGS has been drawing goofy animals pretty much nonstop since kindergarten. His illustrations have appeared in newspapers, in magazines, on websites, on frozen fish stick packages, and in hospital waiting rooms. He hibernates in Greencastle, Indiana, with his wife and cubs.

Review Quotes

What a great stocking stuffer!" - Mommies with Cents" - Mommies With Cents

""More Bears! is written by Kenn Nesbitt and is a delightful children's book that had my little ones giggling from the beginning. This book centers around the premise that the author is writing a book with "absolutely NO BEARS in it-not a single bear anywhere but then one day........" The illustrations by Troy Cummings bring the cast of More Bears! to life. There were Astrobears, Surfing bears, Juggling bears and so many more that my kids were roaring with laughter and shouting "More Bears!" by the end of the story. This book is excellent for pre-school to young elementary school age children who are sure to become active participants in the story.

I highly recommend this fun and entertaining book..." - Simply Stacie" - Simply Stacie

""Bears in cowboy hats, bears in space! You'll be rolling when the grumpy narrator has his story overrun by these friendly beasts." - Parenting Magazine, School Years" - Parenting Magazine

""I liked this one. I did. I thought it was funny. A bit quirky--perhaps--but good fun, in my opinion, very playful. I think it would make a good read aloud.

The author begins KNOWING that his story has NO BEARS in it. Yet the voices persist. Children begging for a story with MORE BEARS. How many bears will he add to his story with "no bears?" How many bears are enough bears to satisfy his audience? Who is in charge of the story anyway?

I liked the repetition--the repetitive demands for MORE BEARS. I liked the simplicity of the concept yet the detail in the bears he adds to the story. For example, there's "Bobcat Sam, the bear who rode a pony, and Admiral Haversham, the English dancing bear, and Excellent Steve, the bear who just wanted to surf." - Young Readers" - Young Readers

""I love this book. No, you don't understand. I really love this book. This reminds me of the interactivity of that old Grover book, the on "There is a Monster at the End of this Book" or something like that. Each page brings interaction with your child and reader's audience. I love it! The poetry is so much fun and attractive to the ear... I definitely recommend this for a keeper shelf for every child." - Creative Madness" - Creative Madness

""I really enjoy books that are interactive with the reader. More Bears! is a fun example of that.

Cummings did a great job illustrating this entertaining story. Stylish colors and bears of all shapes and sizes add great dimension to the story.

I loved this book." - Homespun Light" - Homespun Light

""I was taken by this book as soon as I saw the cover. With the adorable illustrations, I couldn't help but fall in love with More Bears! Add to that it's cute and funny story and it was a hit with everyone in our house. We love books where even from the first time we read them, the kids can catch on to the pattern and finish sentences etc. With this book each page ends with you know that the next page will start with "More Bears!" A few pages in the boys would all yell "More Bears" when we turned the page. Of course, when you get to the end there is a twist!! This is a great book for all ages as everyone from my 2 year old to my 8 year old loved it." - Oh Boy, Books" - Oh Boy Books!

""In this rollicking metafictional romp, poet Nesbitt's first picture book, the bald author of a story is interrupted by anonymous voices that demand "MORE BEARS!!" ("Were those the voices of children shouting?"). Initially grumpy about the intrusion, the author complies--with every page turn there's another speech bubble calling for more bears--until there are "so many bears in the story that they couldn't all fit on the page." In Nickelodeon-ready cartoons, Cummings brings the idiosyncratic, one-of-a-kind bears to life, including Astrobear, who "was Bulgarian and always kept a hamster in his pocket, just in case," and "a papa bear, whose name, by the way, was Captain Picklehead, and a bear named Uncle Sheldon, who was bald and loved to play the ukulele." When the author finally decides to reclaim his story, any disappointment about the disappearance of the happy-go-lucky bears is mitigated by one last surprise demand for a story with... "More Chickens!" Kids will be shouting along with every request for more bears--it's a story that's made for read-aloud, though it's all but guaranteed to be a rowdy one." - Publishers Weekly" - Publishers Weekly

""Kenn Nesbitt is a master storyteller for kids. If you're familiar with his silly rhymes and wacky poetry, and even if you're not, you'll want to check out his newest book for the youngest readers, More Bears!

More Bears! is full of repetition, counting, colors, rhymes and so many things children will love to have read to them over and over. The good news is, parents won't get tired of obliging them. Illustrations, by Troy Cummings, are fun, and you and your child will enjoy matching each written-about bear to the drawing. The premise that children can influence what an author writes should be fun for kids to contemplate too. I highly recommend it for the littlest ones in your life and all the other little ones you know." - Mother Daughter Book Club" - Mother Daughter Book Club

""More Bears, published this month, is award-winning poet Nesbitt's first picture book. He brings his delicious sense of humor and playfulness with words to his young audience, and the story is wonderfully complemented with Troy Cummings captivating pictures with lots of details for readers to ponder. (Like the full-page illustration of Astrobear "who, by the way, was Bulgarian and always kept a hamster in his pocket, just in case.")" - Lit for Kids" - Lit for Kids

""Okay, it's only fair to warn you that, if you decide to buy More Bears, by Kenn Nesbitt and Troy Cummings, you'd better expect to set aside every other book that you normally read with your children - at least for a month or two - because the only book they'll be asking for, for quite some time after you first read it together, is...MORE BEARS!

Get this book, but I'd point out that it's best used as a read aloud with your child because of it's interactive nature. You'll both have hours and hours and hours of fun." - Books and Boys" - Books For Boys

""So, the Mom Buzz is actually quite picky about children's books. Partially because I've been buying them before I even had kids. Partially because I am an elementary ed major. So I pass on a lot of kid book reviews because they just don't "strike" me as buzzworthy.

But then I saw the press about this new book, More Bears! I read the synopsis - cute. I checked out the illustrations. Cute. I read a snippet of the story. Cute. I asked for a copy to read. It was GENIUS. Love it.

The story is about an author who is writing a wonderful story with absolutely NO BEARS in it. But then he hears the voices of children clamoring for MORE BEARS. He gives in, adding a bear. But no, it isn't enough, the children want MORE BEARS. So he adds more and more and more until the pages are overstuffed with bears that surf, juggle, ride tricycles and more. The crowded bears aren't happy about being shoved on top of each other and the author isn't too happy with the attitudes of the bears, so he decided he was right the first time - the story would have NO BEARS. But what do you think the children said to THAT? Well, I hate telling a perfectly funny ending, so you have to read it for yourself - but you won't be disappointed." - TheMomBuzz.com" - The Mom Buzz

""Teachers and librarians searching for sophisticated read-alouds will find much to love in this bear-saturated offering, as will parents looking for a change of pace. As an author attempts to write a story, he is continually interrupted by children's demands for "MORE BEARS!!" Initially conservative in the number of bears added, he is soon swept up in the excitement of plugging in new kinds of bears on each page. However, when the abundance of bears overwhelms the book entirely, the author casts them out and tries to write a new story. That is, until the last page of the book: "MORE CHICKENS!!" Nesbitt expertly melds his wittily monikered bears (example: Admiral Haversham, the English dancing bear, and Excellent Steve, the bear who surfs) to silly humor kids will dig. It's difficult to resist the hordes of firefighting, space-exploring, juggling, flying, conniving bears that pack these pages. Cummings adds just the right feel to the illustrations, going from simple images to crazed two-page spreads. A welcome addition to preschool and early-elementary storytimes and a surefire hit." - Kirkus" - Kirkus Reviews

""The book screams "read aloud." It looks like it was written for storytime. If you have any shouters, they'll delight in yelling, "More bears!" on nearly every page." - The Infant Bibliophile" - The Infant Bibliophile

""The first time we read More Bears it took awhile to figure out the theme for her. But once it clicked then it was a giggle with each turn of the page. Next time we read it she started looking for each bear mentioned. And the third time she then figured out if the bears shown were from different scenes previously in the book. I have to give Princess Emma an A+ in memory skills. Ken, we have to say, yes books need more bears even when the author may not know it." - Crazed Mind" - Crazed Mind

""The fun thing about this book is that kids interact with the author of the book to make sure that he includes lots of bears in the story! Kids will love to look at the pictures to see all of the fun bears in the book, such as "a bear named Elbow who wasn't very smart and always wore his underpants on the outside of his regular pants." (That line definitely got a big guffaw from my boys!)...

More Bears! is an incredibly fun, interactive book that's perfect for reading aloud, especially to more than one child so they can all yell "More bears!" together!" - Susan Heim, parenting author and Chicken Soup for the Soul editor" - Susan Heim on Parenting

""When More Bears! showed up in our mailbox, I was a titch reluctant to open it because of how highly I rate Kenn Nesbitt's poetry books. What if his first crack at a picture book didn't measure up? Yeah, that was a complete waste of a good worry. Kenn is brilliant about knowing what children will like and being able to insert just the right amount of wackiness. It follows that his picture book is hilarious." - For Immediate Release Reviews Kids" - For Immediate Release Reviews Kids

""When does a book not belong to its writer? When it's More Bears! (compare prices) by Kenn Nesbitt and illustrated Troy Cummings. In this silly story, all the author wants to do is write his book. But then some children get involved and as soon as you know it, there are bears -- everywhere. And when the author decides that enough is enough, well, things don't go quite the way he had planned.

This has become my new favorite book to read aloud. It's funny and it makes you laugh and everyone gets a part. From the rousing "More Bears!" from the chorus of children to the grumpy but likeable author, there is a lot to love about More Bears! And with a surprise ending that will make you all laugh, it's a great title to go to again and again and again." - Amanda's Parenting Preschooler's Blog" - Amanda's Parenting Preschooler's Blog

About The Author

Kenn Nesbitt is the author of several collections of funny poetry for kids, including My Hippo Has the Hiccups, Tighty Whitey Spider, Revenge of the Lunch Ladies, and The Aliens Have Landed at Our School! Kenn travels the country, visiting over 70 schools each year. His website, Poetry4Kids.com, is the most popular children's poetry website in the world.
Troy Cummings has been drawing goofy animals pretty much nonstop since kindergarten. He hibernates in Greencastle, Indiana with his wife and cubs.