This is a very sweet story about a boy’s first day of school nerves and how he overcomes them thanks to the encouragement of a new friend. I enjoyed the illustrations and how they were used to show what he saw vs his classmates. The story is short, thus making it great for young readers. However, I would’ve loved if it were a tad bit longer to further enhance the connection between the readers and the characters.

A very sweet book, especially for children who are facing their first days of school with fear. Beautiful illustrations and good story of how the bear may have had a rough 1st day, but he makes a friend by the end and it will end up ok. My nephew loved making big bear sounds while reading this book!

This is the story of a young boy, Max, who is struggling with his first day of school. He brings a stuffed bear with him and as the story unfolds it looks as though there is a large bear acting ferociously in the classroom but really the bear represents Max acting out and becoming upset in the new environment. After a visit to the principal’s office, Max meets a little girl who also brings her stuffed teddy bear to school. Through an embrace with the two bears, readers see that sometimes the first day is scary but that there can always be a second first day.

I could definitely see this book being used in Grades K-3 classrooms, especially at the beginning of the year. I could also see it being used in other settings such as guidance counselling or in families of young children with exceptionalities such as autism who may struggle with their first day of school or moving to a new school. I could see myself buying a copy for my classroom library as a grade 3 teacher, but if I taught K-2 I would say this book is a classroom library “must have”!

I really appreciate the opportunity from Netgalley and the publisher to read and review an advance copy of this book! I am looking forward to purchasing a copy for my students in the future!

This book is a new spin on a back to school themed book; perfect for a read aloud. I could see how some students who are very literal, could misinterpret this book, however, it gives the opportunity for great talking points with whoever you are reading it to. I am so happy that the author included bigger words that younger students may not have heard before in the text. Again, this provides a perfect opportunity to talk about them and build vocabulary. The illustrations are a great addition to the story. This would be a great story for younger elementary students or students who have difficulty with transitioning back to school.

An easy to read, and enjoyable book for children who are just staring school. The main character uses his bear as a way to mask his nervousness for his first day at school, and in return what happens next?

The illustrations were nice, and the story simple to follow. This can be a great book to read for kids who are nervous about starting school, and/or are shy.

Bear With Me is about a boy named Max who's scared for his first day of school and brings his stuffed bear for protection. His fear causes him to act out in ways that are scary to the other kids, such as yelling on the bus and making a mess at lunchtime. Max pretends that it's his bear who's doing these things instead of him, but of course that doesn't fool his classmates or teacher, and he ends up getting sent to the principal's office and sent home early. Fortunately, he makes a new friend who will hopefully make his second day of school better.

This book would definitely require a lot of conversation with an adult to help kids at the target age discuss and understand it fully. Kids who get what's happening would probably find it pretty funny, but I think some kids could be a little confused. It's a "what not to do" book - a parent definitely wouldn't want their kid to act like Max on the first day of school! It could inspire some dialogue about better choices ("If you're scared to introduce yourself, what could you do instead of yelling?") which could be very valuable for some kids.

Overall, I think there are many better first day of school books, but this could resonate with certain kids.

This little book seemed like it had such a fun concept and I was glad it was immediately available to read!

I think the story and artwork are both super fun with this one. It showcases perfectly how we can hide behind things to try and disguise our own fears and worries about different things in life. I love that Max found a friend with a commonality and by the end is ready to face day number two with a new outlook and open mind. A super cute read for a young audience and I definitely think the pictures will keep them entertained!

⭐⭐⭐ 3.75 stars

Max is off to his first day of kindergarten, and even though he’s nervous, he’s not too worried. After all, he’s got his bear, Mr. Kalamazoo with him to help keep him safe. But his first day doesn’t go quite as planned. Max and Mr. Kalamazoo end up in a bit of trouble, and just when they think the worst is happening, a new friend reminds them that big changes are hard, and tomorrow is another day to start again.

My little reviewer (age 5) gives this no stars because the bear was “just too scary and mean looking” for her to like the book, even though she did think it was funny at times. I give it 4 stars, but I’m knocking off a quarter scaring my target audience. *If* your audience is not as tender hearted as mine, I think this is a great book for kids worried about making the transition to Kindergarten or a new school. It’s a cute story that shows that big changes can be scary, but can also be broken down into smaller steps. I think the book is both well written and well illustrated and I would recommend it to kids making the transition to Kindergarten as a way to open up conversations on how they feel about it.

I was provided an ARC copy of this book through Netgalley. My thanks to the publisher and the author for providing it to me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Clavis for a free digital copy.

This is a clever story, but the real star is the illustrations and how they depict the little boy's feelings he is displaying through his teddy bear. This would be a great read for any kids with first day jitters.

'Bear With Me' focuses on Max, a young boy who's about to experience his first day at school. Max is very scared and anxious, but luckily his best friend, Mr. Kalamazoo, is there to protect him!

This story is sweet, and a very enjoyable read. As a trainee teacher, I think this book may be very useful for children aged 4-6, who may have some starting school anxieties.

The illustrations are lovely. I really enjoyed the way Max acted, by using his bear as a sort of mask, and then as he faced the consequences and met someone who understood.

Rated: 3.5 stars

A cute story that I think kids will find humor in. I appreciate that there was another character who mentioned getting sent home from school and it wasn’t painted as this super awful thing. I loved the illustrations, very well done!

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bear with me, bear with my bear, this story is about a boy nervous for her first day of school, and how he hid behind sharp claws and loud snarls whenever he was feeling nervous. The story is also about acceptance, and hope. It's a very sweet story.

5⭐️

This was so adorable!! The artwork was whimsical and I found myself giggling at a few of the lines. It’s super short, but perfect for a very young age group.

I also love that the author used a few big vocabulary words here that are easy to understand based on the context. I think that’s super important in children’s literature to be able to challenge them slightly while still just having fun.

Max needs a little help with his first day of school. He has in his backpack Kalamazoo, a stuffed bear. He's a little big and Max has a even bigger imagination that gets him in trouble with his classmates in making first impressions. However, another class mate has a similar idea and together they make the first day of school a memorable one!

A fun read with your child that has a big imagination. Sometimes we need to remember to bear with each other!

A special thank you to Clavis Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

4/5 stars

Bear with Me by David Michael Slater is a cute book about a little boy’s first (scary) day of school. Throughout the book, the little boy’s stuffed bear seems to be acting out, but it is actually the internal emotions of the little boy (sitting alone, eating messy at the cafeteria, intimidating in the classroom). The illustrations in this book are outstanding, and so entertaining. The story took me two reads to capture the message, but having said that, this would be an excellent book to practice both speech and coping skills with a child (“what do you think he could’ve done differently on the bus?” Etc). I’ve seen other reviews criticize this aspect of the book (the misbehavior) but I think it is the perfect opportunity to learn, and also demonstrate the repercussions of acting out (parents called, sent home from school). I subtracted one star for the sole reason that I had to read it twice to really understand the message.

First day jitters and how to cope is the theme of this delightful book. Max brings his stuffed bear, Mr. Kalamazoo, to school for his first day of school. What Max envisions as stressors for Mr. Kalamazoo become reality for Max.

This is a delightful book that I would incorporate into my first day of school library. This is the perfect book for any primary grades.

Thank you to David Michael Slater, the publisher, and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Bear with Me by David Michael Slater is an adorable children's book perfect for fans of Knuffle Bunny or Corduroy. The story revolves around Max, who is about to go to his first day of school. He brings his stuffed bear Mr. Kalamazoo. Unfortunately, Mr. Kalamazoo has a habit of going wild when he shouldn't be. Will the day end in disaster?

Overall, Bear with Me is a children's book that would make the perfect gift for a child about to enter his first day of school. One highlight of this book is the great artwork, which complemented the story perfectly. I did take off 1 star, because I thought that the solution to the problem in the story was a bit weird. I still enjoyed the book overall though. If you're intrigued by the description, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in April!

Max takes his best friend (and teddy bear), Mr. Kalamazoo, to school on his first day for protection. Max’s nervousness overwhelms him and wild things begin to occur. Though the resolution came about earlier than expected, I appreciate the message and the fun illustrative style!

A cute and charming read that captures how terrifying and chaotic the first day of school can be! The story was fun and I enjoyed the illustrations.

What a cute story about the first day of school!

I loved how the child’s bear represents their own internal feelings and I thought the use of imagination with the bear coming to life was funny and a cute touch.

This book would be good for any child on their first day of school.