Middle Bear is not big and not small, he's just medium-sized. He doesn't like being the middle bear. But one day he discovers that sometimes, not big and not small is juuuussst right. I loved the soft, greyscale, paper-craft illustrations to accompany the story about everyone having a special role that nobody else can do, whether it is in their family or just in general.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

A really adorable story that would help any middle child feel a little bit better. I have an only child so not super relevant, but she loved the pictures!

As a parent of 3 children, I love this book. It is heartwarming and uplifting without being overly sentimental and conveys perfectly the mediocrity of being a middle child. I love the shell-shocked/glazed expression of the bear and the use of child like illustrations, as they convey his perception of himself as unremarkable. As the story unfolds, middle bear find out that there are some things he is just perfect for. This would be a perfect book for middle children.

Cute story for anyone suffering from middle child blues. My youngest was not really interested in the story, I, however, liked the illustrations and thought they were very well done. This book is great for large families with two or more children. Especially if you have a child struggling to find their place in the thick of it all.

This book is perfect for ages 2-4 (maybe 5)

The middle child gets lots of love in this adorable picture book. Middle Bear is the second of three brothers; not small, but not big; not strong, but not weak; not a lot, not a little... "he was the middle one". He has a hard time feeling special until the day his parents both fall ill and the three cubs have to get willow tree bark from the mountain top, to help them get well. When big brother is too big, and little brother is too little, it's up to Middle Brother to save the day: he is, to quote that other story starring three bears, "just right". The emphasis on bear's "middleness" will drive home the point that he persevered and succeeded as is, through determination. Manon Gauthier cut paper collage, pencil, and mixed media illustrations add texture and a childlike sense of place in the story. There's a good lesson about empathy to be learned here, too; the bear's brothers and parents all support him and let him know that what he may see as being a challenge - being the middle one - is what makes him the perfect bear for the job. Perfect storytelling for middle children who may be feeling the frustration of being too big for some things, not big enough for others.

Middle Bear is the second of three brothers. When the brothers go out into the forest to do various errands, Middle Bear is either too big or too small to be of any help. His older and younger brother both seem to be the right size. But Middle Bear seems to always be in the middle.

He seems to go unnoticed. And he longs to be different, to be as special as his brothers.

Susanna Isern’s little book is perfect for children to may seem that there is no place for them. And it is great for helping children experience some empathy for the child who reads alone or who cries because of his or her sadness.

Read more at: http://jasoncstanley.com/book-review-middle-bear/#more-12160

Middle Child Blues.
My personal reaction to this, rather dull coloured book was only 3 stars, but I shared it with my 2 year old granddaughter and her enthusiasm raised the star rating to 4. It usually takes her a few reads to feel 'friendly' towards a book, but as soon as we'd finished this she was asking for "Bear".

It tells the story of Middle Bear, who always seems to be either too small or too big. Being an eldest child, I guess I also missed the significance of being stuck in the middle, it seemed ideal to me, you could play with either sibling. But I can imagine that it might be difficult for some children and a book that encourages discussion about this would help children struggling with such a situation.
I loved the idea that the three bears could help their sick parents, and the illustration with the three of them tending to bed-ridden parents is adorable.

Unfortunately I'm not a great fan of this style of artwork and I'm mystified as to why the colours are so uninspiring. Maybe these childish illustrations attract children, I'd be interested to know.
This would be a great book for a pre-school library, to share within families.
I could also imagine it being the first of a series of Middle Bear adventures.

This book was okay. It was neither really good nor really bad. It was somewhere in the middle. 😜

This will be a great book for my "size theme" for STEAM Storytime though.

I felt this book missed the mark, although the idea was good. The first half of the book pointed out that bear had and did "middle" things: middle-sized bicycle, umbrella, clothes and caught middle-sized fish, etc.. These things might be something a child can relate to but don't seem to be the real issues of being the middle child. I felt more important issues could have been addressed. Toward the middle of the book, the parent-bears are sick and ask their children to "fetch some willow tree bark." That would have been the perfect time to give a reason for the bark, not while they are getting it. Of course, the bark is hard to get. And there was an expected ending. So for me, the idea is very good, but unfortunately, the story just didn't work for me.
And again, I'm pained to say that the illustrations didn't live up to my expectations. They were unique but didn't really contribute to the text.

Stark pictures and a simple tale address the hardships of being a middle child. Not the biggest, not the smallest, but sometimes the just-right-sizest. A lovely story celebrating the specialness of everyone.

I liked the message of this story-that everyone has a role in a family, even if you feel like you are never quite extraordinary but I did not care for the art work in this one,

This story is about the middle bear among a family of three siblings. He tackles a challenging situation and helps out his family. This sweet story focuses on the often overlooked role of a middle sibling.

I absolutely loved this. A really cute book about a middle children, the middle children are thought to get less attention than their siblings and feel less than special. The illustrations are interesting and wonderful. The story are very heartwarming.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review

I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.
This is the perfect book for a family of three. The middle child will relate more than the others, but they will see the side of the middle child as well. It's a fun little story and will be relatable to children. The illustrations were on the elementary side and I believe that was intentional. I would be anxious to see what they look like on paper opposed to a screen.

A really sweet book about a middle bear. He is not big, he is not little, he is just middle sized and does not feel special at all. When mother and father need help, it is middle bear who is able to complete the task needed. This is a great book for children who are the middle child and are trying to find their niche. It is also a good book to discuss with the older and younger child so they can empathize with the middle sibling. The illustrations are quite interesting. They look like children had created them which would certainly appeal to children. They were cut paper, crayon, chalk, coloured pencil and more. Quite an interesting addition to this story. I would definitely recommend it to families where the middle child is feeling a little left out. A great book for family and school libraries.

Finally a story for middle children! This is so needed. Illustrations compliments text nicely and is appropriate for the age range.

A wonderful book for all the middle children in the world. (As well as all the older and younger children who need to have better empathy for their frequently invisible sibling!)

Middle Bear feels lost between the older and younger children in the family. There are times it even makes him feel sad. It is not until his not-too-big and not-too-little size is perfect in an tricky but important situation, that he sees the value of being in the middle. The clever illustrations kept me guessing the various mediums used. (Cut paper, watercolors, chalk, charcoal, but of acrylic?)

This was an interesting story about being the middle child. And the artwork was also interesting. Not amazing in the usual way, but very unique. It makes to books stand out from others of this subject. The Middle bear, is the middle bear is the middle bear. Not too big, not too small. He is just right.

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If you are a middle child then you will know exactly the feelings middle bear experiences as this tale is told. He is the second of three brothers. He is too young to hang out with his older brother and too young to do things with his baby brother. Everything about his life, his activities and his sibling placement in the family is middle-sized. He longs to feel special and noticed by the others around him.

His father often goes out with his older brother to collect walnuts and almonds while his mother naps with his younger brother leaving him to read a book by himself. He begins to feel depressed and sorry for himself. However can he get himself noticed and rid himself of the middle-child-syndrome blues? The tears he shed can not wash away his sadness and feelings of unworthiness.

One day his parents fall ill and urgently request that the three brothers go off on a mission to fetch them some willow tree bark to cure their maladies. Nervous and apprehensive the three leave to go to the mountains to grant their parent's wishes. The exciting turn of events is that the mission can only be completed by guess who??? Yes, middle bear!!! He becomes the hero of the day and finally is celebrated and fussed over by everyone in his family. Hurray for Middle Bear!!!

What a great book about family values and how important it is to make every child feel like they are number one. The illustrations are truly unique and very kid-friendly. I highly recommend this charming heartwarming story.

Beautiful artwork! As the oldest child in my family, it was interesting to read a book from the middle child's perspective. Teddy bears are such universally loved characters, and this book was not an exception. All the characters are loveable, but the middle bear is the hero!

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me preview this book.