a Box of Bears

Stuffed polar bears in a gift shop feel sad that they are constantly passed over for other toys because their pale fur makes them blend into a cotton snow background.

Can a giving spirit help Big Bear and Little Bear out of their predicament?

Follow these cuddly critters from cover to cover to learn how one good gift leads to another.

Copyright 2009 Read-to Pre-school-grade 2

ISBN 0-9721897-3-6 Read-yourself grades 2 and up

Retail price: $12.00

The giving theme in A BOX of BEARS, suitable for all ages, elders included, makes this new book a thoughtful school, community, or hospital library gift/donation.
This book was officially released on Friday, November 13, 2009 

A BOX of BEARS: the Story Behind the Story

I can do better than that. What children’s writer hasn’t thought, if not said it? Exactly how I felt on reading the free book accompanying the plush toy-of-the-year. I didn’t like the cover and I objected to the title. A confusing half-dozen or more character names began with the same letter. The story ending suggested the inappropriate child behavior of keeping a secret from Mother. But I had already bought the toys for a classroom gift from invited December Author.

After I’d explained my feelings about the commercial story this was one first-grader’s question on politely raising his hand: “Why did you buy it if you didn’t like it?” Good question.

“It was free,” I said, “and you can’t always judge a book by its cover!” But I admitted I do.

For the first and second-grade classes, I’d written my own story about toy bears without any relation to the original. It was too long for their attention level, but well-received anyway. Then I worked on and off for years on revisions and cuts to suit a young-reader picture book format.

And when my professional artist/daughter Marti said yes, our fourth collaboration was launched. It didn’t exactly crash, but keeping it afloat for a couple of years was our biggest book challenge yet. Know any artist who thinks white-on-white is easy? Doubtful.

More than once we hoped our book might be marketed in time for holiday shoppers. 2009 is the year for reality. A BOX of BEARS’ bright, beautiful acrylic illustrations will bring the joy of giving right into the heart and home of every lucky reader. Its evergreen theme defies shelf-life conventions for holiday books.  And I truly believe. I did better.

The Bear Models

A BOX of BEARS Gift Basket. This one of a kind, All Occasion Gift Baskets Online exclusive gift basket contains a new book that makes a great gift for children of all ages The November 2009 release was written by Mariam D. Pineno and illustrated by Martha L. Pineno. The story follows stuffed polar bears in a gift shop who feel sad that they are constantly passed over for other toys. Follow these cuddly bears from cover to cover to learn how one good gift leads to another. Pier 1 brown rice gift basket, A Box of Bears book signed by the author and the illustrator, 3 plush 12" Cuddly Cousins bears, 2 plush bear hand puppets, 1 Buddy Bear paint-by-number artist set, 1 7oz. fat free gummi bears, 1 2oz. box of mini Teddy Grahams, and 1 acrylic polar bear dish.

 

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