A Boy and a Bear in a Boat, A

A strange but charming book. Not really sure who would borrow this from the library. I see it more as a text to be shared with a child or small group of children. The writing is funny and succinct and the illustrations are a delight- I just wish there were more of them. I’ve read online reviews and it seems that those reading this book in paperback are short- changed…

I enjoyed this. I liked the fact that when you thought you knew where it was going, it went somewhere different.

A strange, funny and interesting book.
My favourite character is the bear because in almost every situation he's calm.

I would highly recommend this book.

I borrowed this from school library. It’s one my first chapter books. It’s a really nice story.

This book is the epitome of minimalistic brilliance.

That's not to say that nothing happens-because the plot is pacey, even for a children's book- but this is a story about the characters, the situation they are in, and the journey they undergo. There is no window dressing of a slew of side characters or an unravelling mystery. It's a boy and a bear in a boat. Pure Ronseal.

This would not work without Dave Shelton's sharp writing, or his dialogue that had me beaming throughout. Without researching, I would guess that he read and enjoyed Roald Dahl books as a child, beause there are elements of Dahl's characterisation in both of the unnamed characters and their interactions.

The bear is wonderfully nuanced. He is both wise and dim, fastidious and absentminded, gentle but crotchety. I particularly enjoyed the parts of the story where he clashes with the boy about whether they are lost, as this is where Shelton's dry sense of humour particularly shines through.

The boy, meanwhile, is the Sophie to the bear's BFG. He is brave, clever and resourceful- as the children reading him will want him to be so they can imagine themselves in his place- but pleasingly, he can also be bratty and spiteful; the adults reading will recognise these traits as representative of real life, even if not all children will! With that said, the boy makes up for any transgressions over the course of the story with introspection and sincere amends-making. I'd also be remiss not to highlight the hilarious way Shelton writes the boy's lack of restraint when clashing with the bear as I mentioned above. It happens at least twice in the book and was a highlight.

You can forgive the boy for being moody though, because he is stuck in a situation of which he is completely in the dark. And like the boy, some readers may be disappointed to find that questions they have at the beginning of the book may not be answered, but it's important to remember that this really is a story that's all about the journey over the destination. It's a boy and a bear in a boat.

The boy and the bear have an adventure in a boat

This was fiction or bears can talk.
It is a very funny book and I think that this suitable for ages 7±.

I didn't like this one, i found it a bit boring

This book was OK but it didn't really have a start or a finish!!!

I liked this book because it was intrigued by the fact that the bear could speak, and had his own tea time schedule. I would recommend this book to readers who like cliff hanger. This book is Non-Fiction, fantasy

This is a very good book my whole class read it including my teacher because it was such a good book it's about a boy who goes with a bear on boat and they have an adventure and it's also very funny and someone in my class sad they were sad the story ended because it was such a good book but at the end most of my class didn't like something but apart from that the book is amazing
I think whoever is reading this if they read the book they might dislike it to but this book is nice for girls and boys.Enjoy.

I really enjoyed it!

I thought the book was amazing because it is exciting in every chapter.