The Red Fruit

by Lee Gee Eun (Author)

The Red Fruit
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Baby Bear is off exploring on his own.

Tok!

Now what's this that just hit his head? Mmmm...it's a delicious red fruit. He must get more.

Up, up, up, to the top of the forest.

Hello Caterpillar! Hello Squirrel! Hello Bees!

Now what is that?

Why, it's the biggest red fruit of all! Baby Bear must have it. He leeeaaaps...

From award-winning Korean illustrator Lee Gee Eun comes a gorgeously illustrated story - delightful at every beat - about first discoveries and always landing in a safe place.

P R A I S E

★ "Economically drawn and narrated, this translated work from Korea spotlights a bear cub's naivete and determination... Beautifully transcends its seeming simplicity." --Kirkus (starred)

"Perfect for pre- and emerging readers... Playful." --Horn Book

"Children follow a baby bear on an adventure to find more of the delicious red fruit that has fallen to the ground... young readers will relish joining in the journey. The tale lends itself to an easy storytelling session." --School Library Journal

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$18.99

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Kirkus

Starred Review

Beautifully transcends its seeming simplicity.

None

Perfect for pre- and emerging readers... Playful.

School Library Journal

PreS-K--Children follow a baby bear on an adventure to find more of the delicious red fruit that has fallen to the ground. The book's minimalist text seamlessly complements the simple illustrations of a vast forest where the search takes place. The monochromatic digital illustrations, resembling charcoal or perhaps bamboo brush and deep black ink, are broken up by a glimpse of vivid red, piquing curiosity--did the little bear find the fruit or not?--helping to keep readers engaged. The bear finds a caterpillar, a red squirrel, even the sun. Although the text maintains a deliberate pace, young readers will relish joining in the journey. The tale lends itself to an easy storytelling session, particularly in libraries, as the text follows the bear's movements and can be played out using puppets and simple colors. Will the chosen color scheme cause confusion for some readers? The wintry sense of the landscape implies hibernation and a natural scarcity of fruit. Still, the hunt is compelling, and the curiosity of the child will be well understood. It helps foster the development of early inferencing skills by encouraging children to figure out what things a small bear encounters along the way. VERDICT Appealing for a younger audience or for a parent or librarian seeking a simple read-aloud.--Jessica Clark

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

[STAR] "Economically drawn and narrated, this translated work from Korea spotlights a bear cub's naivete and determination... Beautifully transcends its seeming simplicity." —Kirkus Reviews (starred)

Lee Gee Eun
Lee Gee Eun is an author and illustrator from Korea who has won numerous international honors, including the BolognaRagazzi award and the Korean Young Illustrator Award. You can follow her at @studio_geeeun.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781646147007
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Levine Querido
Publication date
November 28, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV002030 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Bears
JUV039090 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | New Experience
Library of Congress categories
Bears
Picture books
Safety
Learning
Fruit

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