Big Bear and Little Fish

Big Bear and Little Fish by Sandra Nickel. Illustrated by Il Sung Na. I loved this children’s 📖 book. I cannot wait to someday read it to my granddaughter. The whole time I am reading it I keep thinking it should be being fed goldfish food that you buy at pet stores.

The story of unexpected friendship is always so important especially with children. It's crucial to help kids understand that everyone is different on the outside. However, our physical differences shouldn't hinder the emotional connections/friendships you can create.

As a toddler teacher, this book had many good teaching points that 2 year olds are still learning.
1) The size differences, BIG bear and Small fish
2) Bear being gold and eating gold food
3) Fish being orange and the different orange food
5) Bear measuring his height and comparing it to fish

I really liked how the book shows that the differences between Bear and Fish are actually similarities. In the end our differences can be the main source of what bring us together

The book was really cute and sweet, and it has both a good lesson and a lovely story about two friends who discover they can be both big and small, and learn to share. The illustrations were beautiful and the colors in the story were also very nice for young children learning about colors. The story is definitely full of big feelings: so be ready to talk about those too!

Big Bear and Little Fish was such a sweet story about how our differences may not be so different after all. The book had bright, simple illustrations. I enjoyed the idea that your perspective on how big or small you are in the world is all relative. Very inspiring.

According to my 6 year old-
I thought the bear was cool. I thought the fish was cool, too. The book was awesome.

From me-
What a cute story. The small fish taught the big bear a big lesson!

This was such a cute book that talks about differences and appreciating all the ways we are the same/different (always an important lesson for children, or anyone!). The illustrations and colors were pretty, interesting and inviting! my three year old really liked this and I know we will be reading it again!

"No matter how small we might be in the outside, we can still be big on the inside." 🐻🐟

Thank you Lerner Publishing Group / Carolrhonda Books for a digital copy of this book! This book is due for publication 9/6/22 and we recommend it.

💙 Mommy (@that.bookmom) and Ronan (@thatbookkid) approved ✅

This is a very cute story! Big Bear learns that size does not determine friendship and finds herself an unexpected friend in a little fish. There were parallels to a realistic fiction story my class loves, and this would be a great title to compare and contrast. I loved the illustrations as well.

A lovely and adorable tale about how we are all more alike and how much we can have in common than we realize.

Such a wonderfully illustrated book with a sweet story of new friendships. The book follows Bear as he goes to the carnival to win a huge Bear plushie but instead won a small goldfish in a bowl. Bear doesn't see how it is possible to be friends with the goldfish until he finally talks to the goldfish. No spoilers. I highly recommend this book. The kids loved it! Thanks #netgalley for the early release copy.

My kids 5,7 and 9 really enjoyed this book for their bedtime story. They laughed and made bear jokes while reading. “This is a beary great book”. I like the message that it sends reminding kids that it is ok to be different and that maybe we are not so different after all. They also love the pictures and we spent several minutes discussing the details.

What a cute story! It has a great message. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and the colors and I loved them! I'd definitely recommend it!

This is a cute picture book that teaches important lessons to children through the inspiring story.
Bear wants to win a big stuffed teddy bear at the fair, but instead he wins a little fish in a bowl. Instead of being happy that he won something he spends his time thinking about all the ways the fish is not a good fit with his lifestyle because they are so different. Eventually, after the fish shows him that they actually have many similarities bear sees there may be a chance of them being friends.
I read this to the boys that I nanny and they enjoyed it very much. They are 4 and 6 years of age. They had many questions about why Bear did not like the goldfish and why he was being mean to the little fish. Then, of course, they asked if they could get a goldfish just like Bear's! They enjoyed the fun colorful illustrations and the story kept them interested from beginning to end. When I asked them what they though Bear learned in the story the 6 year old said he learned that just because someone doesn't look just like you it doesn't mean you shouldn't try to be friends. The 4 year old said Bear learned that goldfish are more fun than big stuffed bears. I definitely will be purchasing this book for their bookshelf at home.
Overall, this is a wonderful picture book that many children would enjoy. It is an easy book to keep younger ones attention because there is not much dialog on each page so the story moves quickly and gives them less time to be distracted.
I am grateful to Lerner Publishing, Carolrhoda Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an egalley of this cute book in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you so much to Lerner Publishing Group, Carolrhoda Books ® for a chance to read and review this children's book prior to release.

First off, I want to say that the cover is what sold me on this one! How adorable!?

I really enjoyed the beautiful artwork all the way throughout and all of the bright colors made every page so uniqe and interesting.

The story reminded me of an Einstein quote that says "Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."

Bear has a hard time with all the differences between him and the fish at first but by the end of the story realizes that they have much more in common than he originally thought.

My two year old would love this book and it would make a great gift!

This will be available for purchase on August 31st.

This new picture book was too cute with it’s dual-sized duo and whimsical and vibrant illustrations. Bear wants a teddy bear from the carnival. A BIG teddy bear, to match her size. However, she gets a fish instead. A very small fish. Before she can even get to know her new friend, Bear decides that she and the fish are just too different. But once they start talking it seems the only small thing is the difference between them.

This book was delightful. The pictures were inviting and so beautiful. I loved all the textures and blending of colors and was excited to see more with every page turn. Both kiddos (4 & 8) thought the book was fun and enjoyed the story.

I personally love any books that talk about how friends do not have to be similar. But this book takes it a step further and explains how common ground is found through comparison and reasoning. Each difference is examined and with a new perspective a new connection is formed. It would be a great addition to talks about friendship and resolving differences. I could see it being useful at the start of a school year or any other children’s group.

My only hang-up was wondering why the bear is measuring herself daily. It seems like an odd routine in the middle of otherwise ordinary tasks. It could use a mention in the beginning to tie it to something else in the story. Maybe in regards to her being the biggest animal and wanting the biggest teddy bear. Nothing that would keep me from purchasing this lovely story of friends.
I’ll be looking for this book to add to my library in September.

This is an adorable book about friendship, sharing and emotions. My three year old and I both have enjoyed reading the story about Bear and Fish.

This book does a great job of explaining to children that even if we are different in some wys we are also similar in many ways. We get to watch Bear learn that the things that he things are different about fish are actually not differences but similarities.

Great illustrations.

This was adorable. I love the art, and the story is so simple, but the meaning so complex. My 9 year old daughter especially loved it.

I loved this story so very much. A sweet story about two individuals who have more in common than initially though, "Big Bear and Little Fish" follows the titular characters and their adventures as they learn to be friends through their differences. I thought the illustrations were engaging and easy on the eye, and the story was simple but important for younger and older audiences alike. I enjoyed it a lot and would recommend it to anyone (regardless of age) looking for a sweet story about friendship.

Don't judge a book by it's cover. That is the ultimate moral of this story. Just because someone looks a certain way doesn't mean you can make assumptions about the kind of person they are.

Bear goes to the fair and all he wants is to win himself a teddy bear. But things don't go quite as planned and he ends up winning a tiny little goldfish in a bowl. The first thing children learn is about dealing with disappointment and how to make the best of a situation that doesn't go the way they wanted. It is a great conversation starter to talk about feelings of frustration and how things sometimes happen that are unexpected. Bear doesn't know how to care for such a tiny creature and doesn't think much of his new friend. Soon Bear learns that looks can be deceiving and he embarks on a Bert & Ernie style friendship with this tiny fish. Opposites can be amazing friends if you open your mind and heart and love everyone for exactly who they are. Differences can bring us together and we can share our love and kindness with everyone no matter how different they are.

Bright, simple illustrations are fun and engaging. Plenty of great lessons for kids to learn.

This story was both entertaining and educational, which can be a tricky balance to maintain in a children’s book, and I will be suggesting it to teachers whenever possible. Incorporating social-emotional skills and topics such as this into children's picture books is a tried and true way to teach an important life skill in a way that is fun. This would be an amazing addition for classroom libraries, counselling offices and more.

Absolutely adorable book! Bear is unsure, but fish has a certain way of explaining things that makes Bear reconsider their differences. It's a great way to show that you can make friends with anyone--they don't have to look just like you. Or let's see how we share all these commonalities that we think are differences. I loved it! Would definitely add this to my school library collection.

I read this to my almost four-year-old and we both loved it. The story is about finding similarities when things might seem very different from each other, and how even if you don't get the thing that you thought you wanted initially, you can still have a happy ending. My child loves the pictures of the bear and the fish dancing around at the end of the book. This is one of those stories that is fun to read over and over again, as opposed to the ones that you cringe over when your kiddo asks for them (parents you know what I mean).

Thank you to Lerner Publishing Group, Carolrhoda Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to access this free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

SO CUTE!! Such a heartwarming story about looking at our similarities over our differences and most of all being open to that. I was smiling the whole time!

'Big Bear and Little Fish' is a book both parents and kids will ADORE! Being small is certainly relatable to little people. As such, this is story they will love.
Bear is sweet and engaging as he takes on something he is not ready for and does not thing he can do - caring for Fish. Plus, he did not get what he actually wanted. But, he comes to learn that the unexpected can turn out better than what he thought he wanted. On top of all that the artwork is adorable!

WHO SHOULD READ IT: Bear lovers, people who sometimes feel small, anyone!

hank you @Netgalley and @lernerbooks for early access to this ARC in return for an unbiased and voluntary review

I totally had vibes of Dr. Seuss and Goldilocks while reading Big Bear and Little Fish! Big Bear has NO idea how to relate to his new fishy friend- what could they possibly have in common when they are SO different?

This lovely story will take kiddos on a ride to learning SO many different concepts- size, foods, colors, habitats, and the most important- FRIENDSHIP!

Little Fish teaches Big Bear a lesson about differences and we can be different, but also the same.

The artwork is cozy, fantastic and appealing- it'll definitely catch the interest of a little one!

I loved watching Fish and Bear and their budding relationship and thought that the themes were relatable for a younger audience and how they process information in a more simple way- if a bear is gold, the food he eats will be gold. If a fish is orange, the food he eats will be orange. It offers a lot of transition into more complex ideas, thinking and learning.

I'd definitely recommend to parents, but also a great book to add to an educational library or classroom!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the DRC!

I was excited to read "Big Bear and Little Fish" after seeing the description's notes about social emotional learning. This is a very popular and much requested topic at our library and one that we do monthly storytimes around to help support what those ages 3 - 6 are learning in school.
This was the perfect balance of learning SEL skills with a fun and engaging plot. Sometimes SEL books can be didactic but this was not at all. The art is bright, interesting and clear which is attractive and would work well in a storytime setting. I will definitely be sharing this title with my groups when it is released to support celebrating differences and making friends.