Tops & Bottoms (Caldecott Honor Book)

Book Description

Hare solves his family’s problems by tricking rich and lazy Bear in this funny, energetic version of an old slave story. With roots in American slave tales, Tops & Bottoms celebrates the trickster tradition of using one’s wits to overcome hardship. “As usual, Stevens’ animal characters, bold and colorful, are delightful. . . . It’s all wonderful fun, and the book opens, fittingly, from top to bottom instead of from side to side, making it perfect for story-time sharing.”--Booklist

Customer Reviews:

Clever... Witty... Humorous... Must Have for Teachers.......2007-05-06

Stevens, J. (1995). Tops and bottoms. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Synopsis: When Hare loses everything he owns to a risky bet with a persistent tortoise, his family's lives are in danger of starvation. While Hare's family is in danger of starving, his neighbor, Bear, lies around lazily as his richly fertile farm fields lay untouched. Being a sly trickster, Hare devises a plan outsmart his slothful neighbor. Hare offers to plant, water, weed, and harvest his Bear's fields and split the profits 50/50. What Bear doesn't know is that Hare has a trick up his sleeve. Hare plants roots crops and gives Bear the tops. Then he plants leaf and stem vegetables and gives Bear the bottoms. Finally, Bear demands a season of both tops and bottoms. Hare plants the trickiest vegetable of all which really surprises Bear and the readers. In the end, Hare is able to buy back his own land and open a vegetable stand.

Evaluation: Can Hare outsmart the son of a brainy business bear? Readers will recognize this jovial trickster who triumphs by virtue of his quick wit. Stevens notes that his tale is adapted from European folktales and slave stories of the American South. This tale also has similarities with African Anansi stories. Although the author does not indicate any actual sources from which she adapted this tale, it is wildly humorous and worthy of reading for many years to come. Stevens' humorous extension of the Tortoise and Hare tale leaves young children wondering. However, older children and adults can clearly see the humor in the connection. In addition, most children do not see the humor in the fact that Hare and Mrs. Hare have hordes of small bunnies at home. Stevens' bold watercolor, pencil and gesso illustrations cover every inch of each vertically oriented double page spreads draw readers into this sharp tale. The vertical format allowed Stevens to create a tall canvas on which to illustrate succulent vegetables growing in the fields. Each page is full of exuberant details and simple boxed text. Educators will continue pulling this text out for students during spring planting and fall harvesting as a read aloud year after year. Children ages 5-10 will love hearing this tale for many years.

cute story.......2007-02-07

great book for young boys, the story tells of a great lesson in life

a guarenteed smile!.......2007-01-11

the illustartions in this captivating book would make it a must have, but the story is equally as good. kids will love the wiley rabbits and the grouchy bear. it's the kind of book that you can read over and over because the pages are so full of characters that you will see something new each time.

Great Teaching Tool!.......2005-10-01

I bought this book to use in our Educational Tours for school children on our farm. It's a great way to teach about the different parts of plants we eat and the pictures are very cute.

Whellin' A Deal.......2004-10-27

Bear is a very wealthy animal that is undeserving of his good fortune and Hare is a struggling husband/father trying to feed his family. When Hare and his wife come up with a clever plan for food, Hare decides to try it. Might I mention that Bear owns land that is very good for a vegetable garden.

"We can be business partners!" Hare says. "All we need is this field right here in front of your house. I'll do the work of planting and harvesting, and we can split the profit down the middle." Hare says soon afterwards, "So what will it be, Bear?" "The top half or the bottom half?" Hare doesn't mention what crops he will grow to bear, because, of course, he will plant veggies that bear fruit(or, well...vegetables) underground. Carrots, radishes, etc.

The next growing season, Bear will naturally choose the bottoms, but-again-he doesn't demand a certain vegetable to plant, so Hare plants vegetables like cabbage that grow above ground.

Finally Bear gets smart-or at least he thinks he is-and demands to have both the tops and bottoms of the crops; Hare agrees? Why would Hare agree to letting Bear have all the crop?

Janet Stevens has created a book thats screams SOUTHERN! Hare could possibly be the smartest rabbit since Bugs Bunny. What I'm wondering was why Hare didn't take advantage of his neighbor sooner? If only there were more books like this one.

R

Black Dawn, Bright Day : Indian Prophecies for the Millennium That Reveal the Fate of the Earth

Average customer rating:

Black Dawn, Bright Day
Black Dawn,Bright Day
Yatahey! An Old Friend...redux
Prophecies of the Bright Day
A valuable resource relevant to Y2K and Earth Changes.

Black Dawn, Bright Day : Indian Prophecies for the Millennium That Reveal the Fate of the Earth
Sun Bear , and Wabun Wind
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Mysticism | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Parapsychology | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0671759000

Customer Reviews:

Black Dawn, Bright Day.......2007-03-10

This book is truly one of the BEST. It will raise your consciousness of the way we're living. And at the same time treating that which is providing us with life. I have ordered extras to pass out to try and help others have the same light bulb moment. I believe that nature has had ENOUGH of our craziness as far as the way we have treated earth mother. This book breaks it down to exactly what we've been doing all over this planet. We are not going to survive if this madness continues. PLEASE read and pass it on. We must change our ways in order for our future generation to have a chance.

Black Dawn,Bright Day.......2006-11-06

Sun Bear has given an excellent account of how we have abused the earth and what the consequences of that abuse will be. He also provides instructions on how to survive those 'consequences'. Sun Bear has great understanding and insight regarding the earth and its resources. It's very sobering reading and not to be taken lightly.....since many of the prophecies are already happening.

Yatahey! An Old Friend...redux.......2005-09-05

Long before, while I lived "back east", I found some wonderful books that have changed my life path, among them, I found Sun Bear. The first book of his I read was "Black Dawn, Bright Day". It struck me, as very powerful and a tad scary, but, to my then naieve self, the "millenium" was sooooo far away it was hard to take as viable, despite my mistrust of [our's most especially] government officials. We had gas shortages, we made it through Viet Nam, we know about the Ozone layer, we have learned -- I believed that they would surely do the "right thing" and fix it before his worse prophecies could materialize. With the recent onset, and increasing intensity, of many natural, and unnatural crises [eliminating "Mother Earth's Parasites i.e. humans], and now "Katrina" coupled with the [not yet declared war in Iraq], I am curious to see just how accurate the predictions were [as a personal aside, around a few months ago, the resident eagles were missing for a long while, and whales have been grounding themselves again, and I couldn't help recall that this was one of the portents Sun Bear spoke of, re: huge changes afoot]. Recently the Eagles have returned, sporadically, and I can only hope that they are letting us know that if we "do the right things" we still may have a good chance of turning things around. What I want to say to potential readers is, at worse, this book is written beautifully, with the late great Sun Bear's voice and wit, and at best, it's a hopeful warning. I'm going to peruse my shelves and /moving boxes right now for a reread myself.

Prophecies of the Bright Day.......2001-10-28

For a long time I had heard and read other individual's positive views on this book: "Black Dawn,Bright Day" by Sun Bear. Finally 3 weeks ago I order the book. I think in my opinion that this book is the best of the Native American prophecies books I had read thus far. In this age when the popular religious fever view seems to be to look forward to escaping the earth and flying off on a cloud...a book such as this that focuses on a spiritual purification of out earth and then it's renewl="The Bright Day" hope instead of it's destruction...is very refreshing. Indeed, there are "some" Judeo-Christian groups who embrace the hope of the renewl of our earth..but they usually lacked the understanding of helping taking care of our earth NOW as part of the plan to one day see the renewl of the earth and they lack the Native American's understanding and view of viewing the animals and nature as being in a kinship with us humans..Unforuantly, instead of viewing the animals and nature in this positive way that the Native Americans do...they (our white culture)tends to view the earth, animals and nature as somehting to exploit selfishly to our own benifit. To me, if we disrespect the creation...then we disrespect the one who create it and all life there upon it..the Creator. This book helps us understand all this and the harm of the "Ladder Approuch" philosophy held in our culture that is ruining our earth. My complaint would likely be that the book towards the back gets a little too doom-ish, in much they way most of these restored earth believing Judeo-Christian groups get. But other than that...I liked it alot.

Renewed Earth Press
P.o. Box 142
Ojai,CA 93023

A valuable resource relevant to Y2K and Earth Changes........1998-12-15

As a former investigative reporter for Post Newsweek TV Group, I became interested in the late Sun Bear's "Black Dawn/Bright Day", which does a very comprehensive job of explaining the upcoming Earth Changes that Native Americans and other indigenious people from around the world have been predicting for many centuries. Sun Bear begins with an in-depth, informative look at how we have gotten ourselves into the mess we are experiencing: earthquakes increasing in number; destruction of 51 acres of tropical forests every minute; consumption of 35,000 barrels of oil every minute; 1692 acres of productive dry land become desert every hour; 1800 children are dying of starvation every hour; 25,000 die of water shortage or contamination every day; etc.He also presents a fascinating account of Indian prophecies, warnings that are now becoming a reality. One in particular is the Iroquois prophecy about the wrestling match between the serpents. The white and red serpents both have the same goals of domination, conquest, and control of Planet Earth. These two serpents were seen to be wrestling with each other until the rivers boiled and the fish died. Soon the black serpent would come into the battle and defeat the red and white serpents. As the black serpent looked toward the indigenious people of Planet Earth to further his wrath, he would see the coming of the great light of Deganawida and become frightened, flee, and never bother the people again.Through contact with the Great Spirit, Sun Bear learned the white and red serpents represented the United States and the Soviet Union. Through our atomic testing we have literally killed off fish and rivers have boiled. Also through the many years of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union supplied weapons to others in the names of democracy and communism. Now the black serpent represented as the Moslem countries has appeared on the scene and gotten the United States and the Soviet Union into conflicts that still plague our world through terrorism. Sun Bear saw the next stage as war among the Moslems and uses the occupation of Kuwait leading to the Gulf War. Yes, Sun Bear does paint a fact-filled, gloomy picture for Planet Earth; however, he also sees the tremendous benefits of "the cleansing" that will soon occur. He sees this leading to the transformation of a planet plagued by greed, lust, and hate to one eventually of peace, abundance, and love. He already sees the whiteman coming to the Native Americans to learn the ancient ways of Planet Earth and how to restore peace, abundance, and love. Sun Bear shares with us how we can prepare ourselves for survival during the Earth Changes and even shares "safe areas" as he saw them through visions and the experiences of traveling through out the world. I used his map of "safe areas" for the United States for my research on the small towns mentioned in my forthcoming book "Survival Manual for Y2K & Beyond."

Backcountry Bear Basics: The Definitive Guide to Avoiding Unpleasant Encounters (Mountaineers Outdoor Basics)

Average customer rating:

recommended by experts
Bear Basics: Entertaining and educational
Backcountry Bear Basics
Women, Menstruation, Bears
Enlightening, pragmatic, fun to read

Backcountry Bear Basics: The Definitive Guide to Avoiding Unpleasant Encounters (Mountaineers Outdoor Basics)
Dave Smith
Manufacturer: Mountaineers Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Instructional | Hiking & Camping | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Hunting | Hunting & Fishing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Mountain Climbing | Mountaineering | Sports | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1594850283

Book Description

Everything you need to know about traveling and camping safely in bear country

· Practical strategies for avoiding dangerous situations—and how to cope if you do encounter a bear
· Debunks commonly held myths about people and bears
· Revised edition highlights new research and new issues

No more myths. No more rumors. No more horror stories. Backcountry Bear Basics, 2nd Edition provides tested strategies to help you avoid conflict with black bears and grizzlies.

Bear expert Dave Smith gives you the basics—like how to choose a good campsite and properly store your food so that you don't have to worry whether that pepper spray you brought will work on the bear that wanders into camp. He debunks commonly held myths about people and bears. For instance, menstruating women don't have to stay out of bear country, he says. And no, don't roll up in a ball when faced with a charging bear. So much of conventional wisdom about bears is often just plain bad advice; Smith tells you what you should do instead and why. He also reviews specific outdoor activities—from fishing to mountain biking to hiking with young children to trail running—assessing the likelihood of bear encounters and suggesting tactics for coping in different settings and situations.

This updated second edition incorporates new research (Do bear bells work? Does tent color or shape make a difference in attracting bears?) and adds more charts and sidebars to make material accessible at a glance. Smith provides key information on bear behavior and biology to help you understand, rather than fear, this most misunderstood animal.

Customer Reviews:

recommended by experts.......2004-10-16

Use Amazon.com's "look inside this book" feature to view the back cover of Backcountry Bear Basics, and you'll see that Steve French, Director of Research for the Yellowstone Grizzly Foundation, says Backcountry Bear Basics is "the number one book I'd recommend to anyone going into bear country." Alaska Department of Fish & Game biologist Larry Aumiller, manager of the McNeil River State Sanctuary for Brown Bears, writes that Backcountry Bear Basics is "entertaining and accurate."

I'm not aware of any other bear safety book, including Ph.D. biologist Stephen Herrero's Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance, that features endorsements from genuine bear experts.

"Living in Harmony With Bears," a publication by the Alaska Office of the National Audubon Society, includes a Suggested Reading list that mentions both Backcountry Bear Basics and Herrero's Bear Attacks. (http://www.audubon/org/chapter/ak/ak/m2item3.html) Biologist Derek Stonorov wrote Living in Harmony With Bears. John Schoen, Senior Scientist for Alaska Audubon, is listed as a contributor. Living In Harmony With Bears says Herrero's Bear Attacks is "a classic by the world's foremost expert on bear-human interactions," but Backcountry Bear Basics is "the number one recommendation for anyone going into the field with bears."

I found Backcountry Bear Basics to be accurate, practical, and fun to read.

Bear Basics: Entertaining and educational.......2004-08-20

Dave Smith is an excellent writer! His style of writing is educational, yet entertaining. He is down to earth, yet takes his research quite seriously. He does an excellent job of discussing issues that a number of guides stress or disagree with, such as noise making, bear cans, menstration and camping, and bear spray. His discussion on biology and evolution of the grizzly and black bear is for the individual who wants to gain an understanding of bears, yet does not want to know the technical facts that only a specialist would want to know.

An excellent read for those who are interested in learning about bears, their behavior, and how to minimize and avoid attacks. Short, sweet, and entertaining!

Backcountry Bear Basics.......2004-03-17

I reckon I won't be encountering any bears in my neck of the city anytime soon, but I thought I give this book a read anyway. Well-written, concise and informatives, this book seems to give you all that you need to know. It debunks certain myths such as bears being attracted to menustrating females and the usefulness of climbing a tree (if you can make it there) to avoid an irrate bear. So if you are heading out into bear country and are not an experienced hiker, reading this book would be a good idea.

Women, Menstruation, Bears.......2003-05-10

Under the heading "Feminine Hygiene and Bears," Glacier National Park's current website claims, "although evidence is inconclusive, sexual actitivity or a woman's menstrual period may attract bears." Women who are concerned about warnings like this should read Backcountry Bear Basics. Instead of repeating or embellishing Glacier Park's menstrual warning (as far too many writers have done over the years), Smith reviewed the evidence and found it wanting. He devotes eleven meticulously documented pages of Backcountry Bear Basics to the menstrual myth. After a graduate student did a study on polar bears and menstrual odors in 1980, the superintendent of Glacier wrote a memo that said the results of the study "were inconclusive and the applicability of the thesis to Glacier's grizzly and black bears is questionable." So why does Glacier continue to post menstrual warnings? Smith says park officials are "in a quandry. Because of 'liability implications,' NPS officials felt they had to warn park visitors that it might be dangerous for menstruating women to travel in bear country. At the same time, the NPS had to tell employees that it was safe for menstruating women to work in bear country. It was clear there would be lawsuits for sexual discrimination if the NPS refused to hire women for jobs in bear country." Whether the topic is menstruation, food storage, or pepper spray, Dave Smith really did his homework. You get practical advice in this book that you won't find anywhere else.

Enlightening, pragmatic, fun to read.......2003-04-18

This daring book challenges conventional wisdom about bears, it's well-documented, it provides safety tips you won't find anywhere else, and it's written with style. Reading Bear Basics is like sitting around the campfire and chatting about bears with a witty outdoorsman who has years of first hand experience with bears, and an encyclopedic knowledge of bear literature.

You casually mention that bears eat anything and everything; John Muir wrote that to bears, everything is food except granite. "John Muir was wrong," says author Dave Smith. "When it comes to natural foods, bears are rather finicky. Out of 1,000 types of plants in a given area, they might only consume 100-250, and each of those will be eaten during a particular season." To reduce the risk of encounting a bear, Smith suggests contacting land management agencies before you take a hike: "Resource management experts can often predict when and where to expect bear because the bruins are so keyed in on seasonal food sources."

X-C skiers generally don't give much thought to bears during the winter, but Smith says, "When I worked as a winterkeeper in Yellowstone, I often saw my first grizzly tracks in March. During the unusually mild winter of 1995-96, winterkeeper Steve Fuller saw grizzly tracks in February. No matter where you're going, you should be aware of bear hibernation patterns.

You ask if bears have good vison or poor vision, and Smith replies, "A 1937 report from Europe noted that brown bears in a zoo could see people at 120 yards, and recognize their handler at 60 yards." He then relates an anecdote by a bear researcher in Colorado who was spotted by a black bear from a distance of 800 yards. He closes by noting that Yellowstone Grizzly Foundation research director Steve French has an "excellent rule of thumb regarding the vison of bears: if you can see a bear, you should assume the bear can see you."

Backcountry Bear Basics is filled with useful information like this. Now if I see a grizzly 150 yards away, I'll assume the bear can see me and I won't move around unless the bear is preoccupied. Although many books discuss bear vision and other topics that are covered in Bear Basics, Smith consistently gives the most thoughtful, pratical information on each subject. In addition, he debunks a lot of myths about bears. This is the ultimate book on bears and bear safety.

Average customer rating:

Who says that bears aren't human?

A GREAT BOOK FOR BLACK BEAR LOVERS

Fascinating!

Anyone Working With Black Bears Should Read This Book!

Just Amazing

Walking with Bears: One Man's Relationship with Three Generations of Wild Bears
Terry DeBruyn
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Bears | Animals | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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Among the Bears: Raising Orphaned Cubs in the Wild

Summers with the Bears: Six Seasons in the North Woods

Beauty Within the Beast: Kinship With Bears in the Alaska Wilderness

The Great American Bear

Black Bear: North America's Bear

ASIN: 1558216421

Book Description

Some people prefer to walk in the woods alone. Terry DeBruyn walks with bears. Set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, this is the account of an extraordinary human-ursine story. Biologist DeBruyn believes that the only way to protect wild species is to determine precisely what they do all day.

To find out, DeBruyn pioneered a G.P.S. monitoring stystem for radio-collared bears, but he soon realized the only way to truly understand the animal is to enter her world. Not so easy when the subject is a 250-pound North American black bear with cubs. Black bears are enormously powerful animals, though very shy of humans. So, first, DeBruyn must convince an individual bear to stick around long enough to learn she has nothing to fear. When he finally accomplishes this, the rewards are immense. Carmen and her daughter Netti, and later, Netti's daughter June are ambassadors who grant us a glimpse into bear life. DeBruyn is their interpreter. He is a priviledged guest, watching intimate family scenes: nursing, grooming, and wrestling amond den mates. He learns as much about he moods and emotional life of bears as about their dietary requirements. Walking wtih Bears is an endearing tale of interspecies friendship. It will forever change the way we view one of the most fascinating and feared of all wild animals.

Customer Reviews:

Who says that bears aren't human?.......2004-11-24

This is an excellent read that I highly recommend to any animal lover or for the individual who has ever had doubts that any animal lacks human feelings and responses.

Not only is it a great scientific read about the biology and habits of bears, but also takes the whole experience to a higher level. Terry D. BeBruyn takes you out in the forests of Michigan and lets you experience life through three different generations of bears. It is a touching read where one will experience good and bad days and the whole concept of being adopted into a non-human family. It will make you laugh and cry as you experience life through a bear's eyes.

A GREAT BOOK FOR BLACK BEAR LOVERS.......2003-08-12

WALKING WITH BEARS IS A GREAT STORY OF ONE MANS LOVE FOR THE BLACK BEAR. TERRY DEBRUYN MAKES YOU FEEL AS THOUGH YOU ARE WITH HIM IN THE WOODS AS HE WALKS WITH THE BEARS. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. I HOPE ONE DAY I CAN BEGIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BEARS AROUND MY HOME AS THE AUTHOR DID. I RECOMMEND ANYONE WHO LOVES BEARS SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!

Fascinating!.......2001-06-22

If you're at all interested in the natural world around us, and concerned about how much we take for granted in this day and age, this is a sobering and fascinating look at black bears. The author tracks the lives of a family of bears (mainly 3 generations worth) over the course of a year to discuss their behaviors and their seasonal variation. Almost as a by product of this you learn a lot about bears, and the actions and motivations of potentially dangerous wild animals as a whole. I feel a lot safer being outdoors having read some of the explanations for the motivations of aggressive behavior, especially towards humans. I would say more about the book itself but I think it is best left as a surprise. Suffice it to say if you've wondered about bears or the upbringing of offspring in animals, this is a superb book. It's my first book on bears so there may be some others out there which others would suggest first, but I don't see how one could go wrong with this one.

Anyone Working With Black Bears Should Read This Book!.......2000-12-20

I have purchased 3 copies of this book for bear biologist firends. Debruyn gives a wonderful look into the private lives of black bears. I found myself comparing what he discovered with what I see working with black bears in west Texas. The book is written by someone who is dedicated to their research. There is a wealth of information on biology and ecology of black bears that is presented in a wonderful read. I read it cover to cover, then read it again.

Bonnie R. McKinney West Texas Black Bear Study

Just Amazing.......2000-06-05

I can only say that this is one amazing book. Buy it and read it. It's a rare treat.

Successful Black Bear Hunting: Strategies for Bagging Your Trophy Bruin

Average customer rating:

Great Overall Hunting Book on Tracking, Baiting, and What NOT to Do (and more!)
Definitely a good baiting book
Great book - for baiting
Great Hunting Information

Successful Black Bear Hunting: Strategies for Bagging Your Trophy Bruin
Bill Vaznis
Manufacturer: Krause Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Hunting | Hunting & Fishing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0873496655

Book Description

Woods-wise sporting enthusiasts rate the black bear as one of the most elusive beasts in the wild. His shy and secretive nature makes him quite difficult to study in his native habitat.

In this compelling combination of entertaining hunting stories and how-to instruction, Bill Vaznis details everything you need to know about black bears, along with guidelines for harvesting them successfully. You'll learn how to:

* Track, bait, call, and trail bears
* Choose the best hunting locations
* Get the most out of a hunt
* Choose the right outfitter
* Hunt trophy bears

Customer Reviews:

Great Overall Hunting Book on Tracking, Baiting, and What NOT to Do (and more!).......2007-09-21

As a novice hunter, I found this book to be extremely informative. One reviewer mentioned that he didn't like the stories that Bill Vaznis opens each chapter with but that is exactly what I LIKED about this book!

This book provided an overall understanding of bears, how to interpret bear signs and track, how to bait bears, methods of tracking and taxidermy. It also discussed strategies to get "finicky bears", discussed mistakes to avoid (very important read for ANY hunter), and had stories of the author's "close calls".

As a female hunter just getting into the sport, this book allowed me to put into context all the hunting stories I've heard and this book managed to get me that much MORE excited for this season's hunt! In fact, while driving out to the bear camp I was reading the "close call encounters" stories to the men and we were all talking about it and having a great time!

If you are serious about bear hunting, or just getting into the sport than I would highly recommend this book!

Definitely a good baiting book.......2006-12-18

Somewhat good for techniques other than baiting. Locally, I have to spot and stalk. That doesn't keep me from going to places where I can bait. The tables showing bear populations and other data will help me choose my trips. Furthermore, I can use bait if I'm not hunting. Photography and scouting come to mind. This book has great photos.

Vaznis' instructions for dealing with guides, including naming names, is also good. I liked the bit on bear camp dynamics too. The discussion of the bear's senses and the behavior of different bears is great. Old boars get very wary and can live for a long time. Sows, cubs, and young boars are easier to notice, but subordinate.

I definitely enjoyed the hunting stories. Not just the successful ones, but the very many unsuccessful ones. I make mistakes and learn every time out. Hopefully, I can avoid some of the mistakes the he mentions. Vasnis also gives a sense of how time/labor intensive it can be crawling around looking for sign.

Lastly, thanks to Vaznis, I'm going to pack more than a 9mm along with my bow. I guess that bit of fear that comes with bow hunting such large carnivors never goes away and is well founded. I will never huff on a predator call in grizzly country (again) unless I have about 5 12 gauge slugs backing me up.

Great book - for baiting.......2006-07-19

I was excited to get this book in the mail to help prepare for a western bear hunt, but was pretty disappointed after getting through the first few chapters. Each chapter opens with a story of how the author got lucky (or unlucky) on a given trip, then meanders into how baiting is somehow related to the chapter title. It's a good book, I suppose, if you live in one of the rapidly decreasing number of states that allow baiting, however for the majority of states, this book holds little value. What I was hoping to find: more in-depth calling techniques, descriptions of food sources with pictures and parts of the country they may be found and during what time of year, better identification of bear sign, droppings, etc, shot placement and anatomy, maybe the various state regulations regarding bear hunting at the time of publishing - plenty of stuff other than "where to set up your bait station in a corn field, in a swamp, or in the timber." Sorry Bill, there's a ton you could have added to my knowledge on bear hunting, but fell very, very short...

Great Hunting Information.......2005-07-28

This book was very informative and included an absolutely wonderful section on the skinning part of the hunt. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about their animal and be more successful at obtaining one.

Average customer rating:

Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep
Jane Yolen , and Heidi E.y. Stemple
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Bedtime & Dreaming | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0060815612
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

When winter's snow creates a soft blanket of silence, nothing is more comforting than curling up under a cozy quilt. Whether slumber awaits in a warm bed, a rocking hammock, or a nest of leaves, the feeling of comfort and the infinite world of dreams are universal.

This reassuring lullaby will calm any child to sleep, while Brooke Dyer's gentle illustrations show that the little details in everyone's niche truly make a place into a home.

Plants of the Black Hills and Bear Lodge Mountains

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Plants of the Black Hills and Bear Lodge Mountains
Gary E.; Johnson, James R. Larson
Manufacturer: South Dakota Agriculture Experiment Station
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0913062057

Among the Bears: Raising Orphaned Cubs in the Wild

Average customer rating:

Understanding bears
Among the Bears: Raising Orphaned Cubs in the Wild
Black Bears are great
Benjamin Kilham is a complete idiot - He actually supports bear hunting!!!
Meet the Bears

Among the Bears: Raising Orphaned Cubs in the Wild
Benjamin Kilham , and Ed Gray
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Mammals | Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0805069194

Amazon.com

When naturalist Kilham was asked to take in two orphaned black bear cubs, the conventional wisdom was that he would end up with 200-pound brutes too dependent to leave home. So Kilham decided to try his own unconventional method--he raised them in their natural habitat, surrounded by the wild bear-filled woods of New Hampshire. As their bear mother, he was given an unprecedented look into the lives of bears and what he observed turns bear stereotypes on their head. Black bears exhibit behaviors thought to be found only in humans and great apes, such as an intricate system of communication and cooperation, insight, planning, deception, and even ethics, like fair play, empathy, and altruism (qualities not found in apes). Kilham, who has now raised 26 cubs, is an intrepid bear mom, and a humble and delightful storyteller. This is an irresistible story of some of the most endearing rogues ever encountered. --Lesley Reed

Book Description

A first-person account of wild bear behavior that is both a thrilling animal story and a groundbreaking work of science.In the spring of 1993, Ben Kilham, a naturalist who lives in the woodlands of New Hampshire, began raising a pair of orphaned wild black bears. The experience changed his life.While spending thousands of hours with the cubs, Kilham discovered unknown facets of bear behavior that have radically revised our understanding of animal behavior. Now widely recognized for his contributions to wildlife science, Kilham reveals that bears are altruistic and cooperate with unrelated, even unknown individuals, while our closer relatives, the supposedly more highly evolved chimps, cooperate only within troops of recognizable members. Kilham, who turned a disability, dyslexia, to his advantage as a naturalist, offers fascinating insights into the emotional life of bears. His work-which has been featured in several National Geographic television specials-also illustrates the powerful black bear intelligence that has survived bounties and overhunting to make them North America's dominant omnivore, familiar to every reader. Beyond the natural history, he introduces individual bears who become enthralling and memorable characters. As in the bestselling books by Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, Among the Bears explores the breaking down of mutual suspicion and building up of trust between species, with its hopeful implications for the shared future of humans and animals in the wild.

Customer Reviews:

Understanding bears.......2006-11-07

Kilham's experience and Gray's writing offer excellent insight into bears' instinctive knowledge by describing how young orphaned cubs in Kilham's care learn how to become wild bears. I reread the book immediately after concluding it so I could take full advantage its information. I recommend Among the Bears to anyone who deals with these amazing animals professionally or informally. Motivation, communication, and dispersal are well covered in a truly understandable and engrossing manner.

Among the Bears: Raising Orphaned Cubs in the Wild.......2006-03-13

I'm only half way through the book but I can tell you it is difficult to put down. As a wildlife Rehabilitator I find Benjamin Kilham's book informative yet fun to read.

Black Bears are great .......2005-12-25

I just finished reading Among the Bears and I think Benjamin did a great job at describing the bears body language, and his explenation of what their sounds and gestures meant are superb,,,I have seen a lot of bears in the last 40 years and have seen several of these gestures..This book starts out a little slow but soon picks up and then I could not stop reading, This book does tell it like it really is in the bears world good and bad

Benjamin Kilham is a complete idiot - He actually supports bear hunting!!!.......2005-07-31

I've never been more disappointed in a book and I think this is the first book I've ever actually returned. I didn't want this man to get a single penny from me. My concerns were immediately raised when I read that he was a gunmaker and when he made the comment "I reached out to poke the radio on to a country western station. I like to listen to songs with lyrics I can understand". So I immediately look up bear hunting in the index and am soon horrified to read that he supports hunting and even bear hunting and tries to justify it as a valid wildlife management technique! How he could ever raise cubs and yet still support murdering them for fun is beyond me. Torturing and/or killing animals for pleasure is a classic sign of being a sociopath. So if you love wildlife and bears like I do and if you're an intelligent person then you will avoid this book like the plaque. If you want to read an amazing book about bears and two amazing people then get "Grizzly Heart" by Charlie Russel and Maureen Enns. Unfortunately, for some reason this book isn't yet available in the US and you must order it from Canada but its worth the extra trouble.

Meet the Bears.......2002-09-17

This book is basically a primary source about black bears, a subject that, as the author points out, has received spotty attention. "Among the Bears" partially remedies this neglect: it is rich in anecdote, modest yet persuasive in analyses.
This book has many small, satisfying pleasures to it, not the least of which is the idea of a large, stereotypically manly guy like Kilham being a mother to these bears. And he is an amazing mother, patient, wise and tireless. He always lends his bears an ear, literally (for suckling). Another is the reader learns along with Kilham, who continues to turn over the behaviors of his bears in his head, often coming to explanations only after thinking and experimenting. Finally, his physical encounters with bears are entertaining and, I think, instructive about how bears (and humans) become at ease with each other.
The book is very plain in language. As his story progressed, the content of the ideas was plenty engaging, and more than made up for any lack of style.
Telling the history of his interactions with bears, including an unusually large male interested in Squirty, one of the female bears he has raised, Killham ventures prescriptive advice about how to handle a bear encounter only at the end of the book. "Hold your ground, stay calm, maintain eye contact, and let the situation resolve itself. It will." (245)
Throughout the book, Kilham has relevant and undogmatic insights about hunting and hunters.
A small complaint: A bibliography, or more simply--in the character of this straightforward, unpretentious book--a short list of suggested readings would have been welcome. However, the basic but thorough index is excellent.

Summers with the Bears: Six Seasons in the North Woods

Average customer rating:

An amazing story.
A New Understanding of Bears
Magical!
Best book I ever read!!!!
short and sweet

Summers with the Bears: Six Seasons in the North Woods
Jack Becklund
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Nature Writing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Mammals | Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0786885378

Book Description

In the animal-loving tradition of James Herriot, this delightful story, now in paperback, explores the relationship between man and one of natures smartest, most interesting, and sensitive creaturesthe black bearand how this experience enriched two peoples lives. Poignant and entertaining, and enhanced by photos that reveal a unique and amazing friendship, Summers with the Bears is a fascinating chronicle of what happens when humans and wild animals cross the boundaries into each others world.

Customer Reviews:

An amazing story........2005-03-31

Though I have often thought of the similarities between the noses of bears and my own labrador retriever, and been tempted to ascribe those labrador characteristics to bears, I knew better. My reading about bears has included many tales of bear maulings and their extreme medical consequences. This book, though, showed me that bears can equal our canine buddies in establishing full and rich relationships. This unique story of love among the Minnesota woods made me wish that I could pull up stakes and establish a home in the woods and wait for the bears to visit. It really makes one wonder what relationships with other animals we might have if given the opportunity.

A New Understanding of Bears.......2004-01-03

I never understood black bears until reading Jack Becklund's book. I laughed and cried, feeling as if I was right there with Jack and his wife Patti. Afterward, I wanted to visit that area, see the house, see the yard where Little Bit and the other bears played. I now want to find out more about helping these wonderful creatures survive. I have never been more moved by a book. I would love to communicate with Jack and Patti some time and get a picture of "Conversation with a Bear". They are incredible people and so fortunate to have had such a gift in their lives as becoming intimately involved with God's beautiful wildlife.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book. I am reading it again now for the second time. It is hard to put down. Thank you Jack and Patti for sharing this beautiful experience with us.
Joanne Setlock
Wallace Ave.
Buffalo, New York 14216

Magical!.......2003-01-11

If you love animals, nature, the great outdoors, and reading about people who love all those things too, please get this book, sit down with a box of tissues, and enjoy! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll shake your head in wonderment. The author Jack Becklund and his wife Patti, move deep into the Minnesota forests. Their property is home to deer gamboling on the lawn, chipmunks and hand-fed squirrels munching seeds on the porch,wild mallard ducks swimming and splashing in the creek below, and a colorful array of native birds. But the real heart of the story is Little Bit, the black bear cub who toddles onto the back deck one day, and stays for the next six summers as a welcome, loving, and deeply loved guest of the couple. She is a magical spirit, a living, breathing gift from God, sent to bring great joy to their lives. We are honored to meet Little Bit's cubs, her mates, and numerous other black bears who live in the area, and come to trust the Becklunds. The story itself is incredible, but between the lines, we watch the couple come to love and appreciate the power of this sacred trust they've been given...the joy of the relationship they share with these magnificent animals.This is a book for all time...a classic in every sense of the word. The photos are magnificent, and bring the personalities of the animals into beautiful focus.

Best book I ever read!!!!.......2000-08-21

Summer with the bears is by far the best book I've ever read. If you don't have it or haven't read it do so now. It will change your life in some way I'm sure. I first read about it in the Reader's Digest and put my copy on order for the moment it came out. Little bit and all of the other bears touched my heart so much it's hard ot describe. I felt like I was there with them as events were happening. Jack and Patti you are so lucky to have had this special time in your lives and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sharing it with us. Just goes to show that all animals are not as we always imagine them to be, yet we know at the same time they are not all created equal. There are those that possess a special trait and willingness to be different, that was little bit. Your book was written from your heart, and the pictures helped us to be there too. I laughed and I cried along with you. so few of us will experience what you did interacting with the bears on the level that you did. I attribute your book to helping me find a hidden talent I did not know existed in me. I started sketching, and yes mostly bears. I did one of you and Patti with little bit, if you'd ever like them all you need to do is ask and they are yours. You touched my life in such a special way that in turn I'd like to touch your lives too. Hope there will be more books and I wish you all the best in your lives. Thank You for sharing your special lives with the world.

short and sweet.......2000-07-29

Summer With The Bears is about a couple who decide to leave the city for an adventure in Minnesota to observe the bears. At first Jack & Patti started out just observing the bears for hours to learn their habits and earn their confidence. And they do earn their trust. There were many more animals that they befriended. They kept a journal on everything that happened concerning the bears and other animals. They even named the bears.

As a true animal lover, I really liked this book. The pictures added to the book. If you are looking for a short and sweet read this is the book for you.

Average customer rating:

Seriously over-hyped

ANCIENT INDIAN DEMON BEAR RUNS AMOK!!!

Smokey the Bear will eat you

Thriller, not by the sci-fiction writer

-the legend of "the bearwalk"-

Crooked Tree
Robert C Wilson
Manufacturer: University of Michigan Press/Petoskey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 047203152X

Customer Reviews:

Seriously over-hyped.......2006-09-10

Once you find a copy of "Crooked Tree" (if you can find a copy), you'll get a chance to sort the chaff from the wheat for yourself regarding some of the glowing comments about this book from previous reviewers. For this reviewer's two cents however, the novel is only passable horror, at best. The scenes containing the bear attacks ARE intense, but are cetainly not some of the scariest scenes in print as some of the earlier reviewers would have you believe.

The plot revolves around a sudden rash of black bear attacks in and around the Crooked Tree State Park in upper Michigan. As local residents, including the descendants of the Ottawa tribe, try to make some sense of why the attacks are taking place, they start to see a pattern. Could that pattern include the possibility of the return of an ancient Indian curse? Or have the bears simply become hostile?

The book is very slow-moving in spots and I sometimes found myself wishing the action along - either to the point of skim reading. The characters are a little too wooden for this reviewer's liking and are not clearly established.

If you are a fan of the books of Owl Goingback, you might want to consider searching for a copy of "Crooked Tree". (Goingback's works are far superior to this, by the way.) If you are just a general horror fan, then this reviewer's advice would be to simply avoid this book and spend your money and time on something else.

ANCIENT INDIAN DEMON BEAR RUNS AMOK!!!.......2004-11-02

I READ THIS BOOK BACK IN THE EARY 80'S AND I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS REVIEW,IT IS EXCELLENT!!!. THE SCENE WHERE A WOMAN IS VISCIOUSLY ATTACKED IN HER CAR WAS SO BRUTAL AND REALISTICALLY TERRIFYING I CLOSED THE BOOK AND DIDN'T PICK IT BACK UP FOR A WEEK, PLEASE GIVE THIS AUTHOR A TRY, HE'S AN EASY READ AND KNOWS INSTINCTIVELY HOW TO SCARE THE HELL OUT OF THE READER. AFTER FINISHING THIS BOOK TRY "COLD FIRE" AND "SECOND FIRE" HIS OTHER TWO NOVELS, THEY ARE OUTSTANDING EXAMPLES OF GREAT STORYTELLING. TRY "WHERE THE CHILL WAITS" BY T.CHRIS MARTINDALE QUITE POSSIBLY THE SCARIEST OUTDOOR HORROR STORY EVER WRITTEN "CROOKED TREE" RUNS A CLOSE SECOND.

Smokey the Bear will eat you .......2004-10-05

I got this gem of a horror tale on a whim at a local used bookstore. Grabbed by the nutso cover art I sat down to read an amazingly effective tale of Indian legends and supernatural terror brought vividly to life by Robert Charles Wilson. This gory thriller doesn't pull any punches and it has an insane vibe with some serious cult potential. With instances of terror and trauma that are just shy of brilliant this book deserves a reprint. I found myself actually flinching at details and cringing at circumstances and to make me do that is no small feat. This is one of those books that makes me wish I was a film producer, it's startling imagery and well drawn characters just scream MOVIE! Most people just don't understand how much damage a bear can do to a human body but Mr. Wilson sure does.

If you can find this book read it, it's worth seeking out. Especially if you live near bear country.

Thriller, not by the sci-fiction writer.......2004-03-11

This book is NOT by Robert Charles Wilson, the highly regarded science fiction writer. It is by Robert C. Wilson, a different writer altogether. That said, the book is a well constructed horror story that is likely to appeal to fans of Stephen King and his genre.

-the legend of "the bearwalk"-.......2002-03-21

Something very strange is going on in Crooked Tree State Forest in the state of Michigan. Several people are savagely attacked and killed by black bears. The Ottawa Indians suspect that an ancient legend has come to pass where the spirit of Shawonabe, an evil man has taken over the mind and body of a living person and is inciting the bears to murder. Shawonabe called "the evil one from the south," is buried somewhere in Crooked Tree State Forest, and the legend is referred to as "the bearwalk."...

This is a story that kept me reading late into the night. I also learned that pound for pound, the black bear is the strongest animal alive.

I ...would love to see this story made into a movie!

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