Bear Shadow - Picture Book

Bear Shadow
Written and Illustrated By Frank Asch
(Scholastic Inc., 1985)

My young son Taylor (who now is 26 years-old) loved the Bear stories by Frank Asch. Since that time, I have had a special attachment to reading about Bear's adventures.

Bear Shadow is one such adventure. Bear decides to go fishing. But his shadow scares away the fish. To rectify the situation, Bear tries to lose his shadow. Readers will laugh at his attempts at running away, hiding, and tricking his shadow.

Not only is Bear Shadow an enjoyable read, it helps youngsters consider what we know about shadows. Shadows are a fun and interesting part of life! Me and my shadow . . .

KID KANDY:

1. Make your own shadows. This activity requires at least two participants. Get sidewalk chalk and head outside on a sunny day. Have one child stand frozen in a pose while the other traces the outline on the ground with chalk. Switch places and take turns tracing shadows.

2. Play shadow copycat. Explore what your shadow can do. Move, jump, dance, walk, and wiggle. Does your shadow copy you? Or are you copying your shadow?


KID KANDY is a book extension feature for kids and their families. If a child has a fun activity to do after reading a book (or before reading a book), the ideas and information in the book are more likely to stick. We know that the more kids love books, the more they read. And the more they read, the more they internalize things like story structure, character development, language, conflict, and creativity. And the love of both reading and exploring is encouraged to grow deep and rich in the life of kids.

Angie Quantrell likes to make her shadow tall and thin and silly. Her shadow likes to walk on the beach with the shadows of her friends.