Father Bear Comes Home

My final outside reading book is Father Bear Comes Home, a small chapter book. This particular book was written back in 1959 by Else Holmelund Minarik, who is also the writer of Little Bear. The story is about Little Bear wanting to grow up just like his father.


He, and Owl, pretend to be just like his dad who fishes on the ocean. Little Bear catches a good size fish for Momma, then he and Owl pretend to fish. Little Bear caught an octopus and Owl caught a small whale.


Later, Little Bear talked to Hen about his father fishing on the ocean and he wished that if his father met a mermaid that he would bring her home. I guess Hen thought he said he was bringing one home because Hen decided to come home with Little Bear to see her. They then meet a duck and a cat who decide to tag along, too. Father Bear is home, but with no mermaid. The others seem miffed as if Little Bear had lied, but he only said "maybe". Father Bear only brought back sea shells for them to see.


Later while they were all playing with the shells, Little Bear got the hiccups that he couldn't seem to get rid of. Water didn't helping. Neither did holding his breath. Or slapping him on the back. Father Bear then roared through the house and asked who was making all the noise. Everyone looked at Little Bear who said that he was only hiccupping. He started laughing because Little Bear was no long hiccupping. Getting scared stopped the hiccupping.


Shortly after, they all went for a picnic. While Little Bear played near the river with Owl, Cat, Hen and Duck, they start to wonder about mermaids again and if any of them were in the river. Cat said he had never seen one in the river, but Little Bear made the point that maybe she was shy. He wanted to go into the river right there and look for one. Father Bear then suggested that if he met one, he should invite her to the picnic.


Father Bear comes home is mostly about a young son wanting to be just like his father when grows up, but for right now all he can do is pretend and wish everything was real. He and his friends must have had a real big fascination with mermaids, though.

I scanned in pics from the cover and a page in the book.