Brother Hugo and the Bear by Katy Beebe
Title: Brother Hugo and the Bear
Author/Illustrator: Katy Beebe/ S.D. Schindler
Genre: Fiction
Awards: American Booksellers Association Best Books for Children Catalog (2014); Society of Illustrators, "The Original Art" annual exhibition (2014); Kirkus Best of 2014; School Library Journal Best Books of 2014; Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (2015); Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year, (2015) and many other recognitions
Age: 5-8
This book about how a monk named Brother Hugo needed to return a library book but couldn't because it was eaten by a bear. The book brother Hugo needed to return was an important book and the Abbot, who was like the librarian, said he would need to borrow the copy of St. Augustine's letters from the brothers at the Grande Chartreuse and write it out word for word, line by line, and picture by picture to replace their copy. He had to do this within the season of Lent in order to make a good penance for his loss, and he was warned to not lose the copy either. On his way to the Grande Chartreuse Brother Hugo heard a strange grumbling coming from the woods so he started to jog, but the noises grew louder so he started to run until he made it and he didn't stop until he found the Prior, which is like an Abbot just different communities may call them different things, of the Grande Chartreuse. Brother Hugo told him the reason for his visit and the Prior said he could borrow their copy, but needed to remember that the books were food for the souls and not for the bears. Once he left he heard that same grumbling noise outside the gates, but after a few minutes he believed it to be a creature snoring so he tiptoed and went back to his own abbey. Once back Brother Hugo realized he had a large task of writing the manuscript, but h had help from fellow monks and they each helped him with a process. Brother Caedmon gave him fluffy sheepskin, Brother Bartholomew helped him stretch it on a frame and scrape it smooth, Brother Hildebert helped him gather parchment paper sheets and draw straight lines on them, Brother Martin gave him a goose feather to use as a pen, Brother Eadmer crushed up some nutgalls and had them soaked and added three items to make ink, and Brother Jerome offered him a desk to write on. Brother Hugo began to write and he worked day and night, and one night he heard the noise of rumbling again and they thought it was a hungry stomach of some animal or a fierce wind, Brother Hugo knew the cause and hurried along with his writings and didn't want to delay for fear that the bear might grow hungrier. He had finally finished the manuscript and pieced it parts to together and gave it to the Abbot, and told him the Grande Chartreuse would much love to have their copy back. Brother Felix told him they added a few things for them so he could take them back with him. While on his way Brother Hugo had a heavy sack and he heard the same rumbling noises he heard the last time. He saw a bear and reached into the sack and threw one of the poems written by his fellow brother and the bear ate it right up. He was still being followed by the bear and kept throwing out poems and sermons written by his fellow brothers until he reached the gates of the Grande Chartreuse and the bear was right on his heels so he smacked the bear on the nose with the book thinking that would stop him, but the bear shook the hit right off and ate the book and fell asleep at his feet. Just as the bear is falling asleep the brothers of the Grande Chartreuse came out and approached him quietly, not wanting to wake the bear and said they were happy to see him and reminded him that his library book was due, the same one he had just fed to the bear.
I liked this book because it was a cute story about how he had to go through all this trouble to return a library book, only to have the book he borrowed be eaten up by a bear, and he was most likely going to have to go through this process again to replace that one. I also liked how this book had its own glossary and that if a student wasn't sure what some of the words were they could look in the glossary section. It also came with historical notes and explained the time period a little bit better for the students. I thin this book would be great for students in Kindergarten - 3rd grade. I think if I were to use this in a lesson it would be about keeping up with things that aren't yours. Say for instance they borrow a book from the library they need to take good care of it, although they won't have to rewrite it they should know to treat it like it was their own. I would also want to know what my students thought the cause was for the bear wanting to eat the manuscripts. Was it because of a material they used that made it appetizing or because the bear was just hungry.
- Peace. Love. Giraffes.
Author/Illustrator: Katy Beebe/ S.D. SchindlerGenre: Fiction
Awards: American Booksellers Association Best Books for Children Catalog (2014); Society of Illustrators, "The Original Art" annual exhibition (2014); Kirkus Best of 2014; School Library Journal Best Books of 2014; Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (2015); Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year, (2015) and many other recognitions
Age: 5-8
This book about how a monk named Brother Hugo needed to return a library book but couldn't because it was eaten by a bear. The book brother Hugo needed to return was an important book and the Abbot, who was like the librarian, said he would need to borrow the copy of St. Augustine's letters from the brothers at the Grande Chartreuse and write it out word for word, line by line, and picture by picture to replace their copy. He had to do this within the season of Lent in order to make a good penance for his loss, and he was warned to not lose the copy either. On his way to the Grande Chartreuse Brother Hugo heard a strange grumbling coming from the woods so he started to jog, but the noises grew louder so he started to run until he made it and he didn't stop until he found the Prior, which is like an Abbot just different communities may call them different things, of the Grande Chartreuse. Brother Hugo told him the reason for his visit and the Prior said he could borrow their copy, but needed to remember that the books were food for the souls and not for the bears. Once he left he heard that same grumbling noise outside the gates, but after a few minutes he believed it to be a creature snoring so he tiptoed and went back to his own abbey. Once back Brother Hugo realized he had a large task of writing the manuscript, but h had help from fellow monks and they each helped him with a process. Brother Caedmon gave him fluffy sheepskin, Brother Bartholomew helped him stretch it on a frame and scrape it smooth, Brother Hildebert helped him gather parchment paper sheets and draw straight lines on them, Brother Martin gave him a goose feather to use as a pen, Brother Eadmer crushed up some nutgalls and had them soaked and added three items to make ink, and Brother Jerome offered him a desk to write on. Brother Hugo began to write and he worked day and night, and one night he heard the noise of rumbling again and they thought it was a hungry stomach of some animal or a fierce wind, Brother Hugo knew the cause and hurried along with his writings and didn't want to delay for fear that the bear might grow hungrier. He had finally finished the manuscript and pieced it parts to together and gave it to the Abbot, and told him the Grande Chartreuse would much love to have their copy back. Brother Felix told him they added a few things for them so he could take them back with him. While on his way Brother Hugo had a heavy sack and he heard the same rumbling noises he heard the last time. He saw a bear and reached into the sack and threw one of the poems written by his fellow brother and the bear ate it right up. He was still being followed by the bear and kept throwing out poems and sermons written by his fellow brothers until he reached the gates of the Grande Chartreuse and the bear was right on his heels so he smacked the bear on the nose with the book thinking that would stop him, but the bear shook the hit right off and ate the book and fell asleep at his feet. Just as the bear is falling asleep the brothers of the Grande Chartreuse came out and approached him quietly, not wanting to wake the bear and said they were happy to see him and reminded him that his library book was due, the same one he had just fed to the bear.
I liked this book because it was a cute story about how he had to go through all this trouble to return a library book, only to have the book he borrowed be eaten up by a bear, and he was most likely going to have to go through this process again to replace that one. I also liked how this book had its own glossary and that if a student wasn't sure what some of the words were they could look in the glossary section. It also came with historical notes and explained the time period a little bit better for the students. I thin this book would be great for students in Kindergarten - 3rd grade. I think if I were to use this in a lesson it would be about keeping up with things that aren't yours. Say for instance they borrow a book from the library they need to take good care of it, although they won't have to rewrite it they should know to treat it like it was their own. I would also want to know what my students thought the cause was for the bear wanting to eat the manuscripts. Was it because of a material they used that made it appetizing or because the bear was just hungry.
- Peace. Love. Giraffes.
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