bardicbramley's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
abigailbat's review against another edition
Little Bear is not sure why people keep asking him "Can bears ski?" He doesn't know! But after getting his hearing tested at the audiologist's office and receiving his first hearing aids, Little Bear realizes that wasn't what they were asking all along. And now the answer to "Can you hear me?" is mostly yes. Deaf author Raymond Antrobus has written the book he would have liked to have had as a child and this is a must-buy for library shelves. It's a great introduction for young children who are experiencing hearing difficulties or who are getting their hearing tested.
krismarley's review against another edition
4.0
The ending didn’t satisfy me but then I read that the author is a poet. I’m now thinking, ok, that makes sense. Poet, weird ending. I haven’t worn my hearing aids much since the beginning of the pandemic. I’m too terrified of losing one while taking mask on and off!
libraryrobin's review against another edition
1.0
An HOH bear gets hearing aids. Sad.
Clearly this book is not for me. I wanted the characters in the story to meet the little bear half way, not just have him wear hearing aids, learn lip reading, and attend "hearing therapy". No Deaf mentor. No ASL for him and his dad. No closed captions or adaptive devices. Sad.
Clearly this book is not for me. I wanted the characters in the story to meet the little bear half way, not just have him wear hearing aids, learn lip reading, and attend "hearing therapy". No Deaf mentor. No ASL for him and his dad. No closed captions or adaptive devices. Sad.
choirqueer's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this super cute #ownvoices picture book about a kid who gets hearing aids. Some awkward language usage in the synopsis but the book is really sweet and it felt like it reflected what people who use hearing aids have described to me about them. Loved the single dad representation, too.
tabby2920's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
backonthealex's review against another edition
4.0
I chose this book to read to my young readers not because any of them are hearing impaired but because two of them live with grandparents whose hearing is not as good as it once was. I only know this because it has come up in conversations, not usually in a positive way. Little Bear wonders why people, including his dad, keep asking him "can bears ski?" He even wonders if he's heard the question right. And sometimes when friends say hello, Little Bear doesn't say hi back. One day, Dad Bear takes Little Bear to a special doctor who put headphones on his ears and tells him to put a block on the table each time he hears a sound. Even the doctor wants asks "can bears ski?" Soon, Little Bear is learning how to lip read and the doctor puts hearing aids in his ears, asking "can you hear me?' What I like about this book is that it explains things so well for young readers, giving the proper name for the doctor Dad Bear takes Little Bear to, and explaining just what that doctor does with him. It also talks about how people can help Little Bear understand them better simply by changing their speaking habits for him, like looking directly at him when they have something to say. This book really started a good conversation with my kids about hearing and hearing loss, and they were surprised to learn it can happen to kids as well as grownups. I loved the digitally rendered ink and painted illustrations, which were clear and simple, just like the text.
eggcellent_reads's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A