Bear and Fred: A World War II Story

A big thanks to Amazon First Reads for introducing me to a very special bear who played an essential role in the life of his young Jewish owner during World War II. Bear gives Fred invaluable security and comfort throughout the war. And it gives me comfort to know that one little boy managed wartime a bit better because of his sweet, loyal bear! Though this story is certainly heartwarming, I felt it missed an opportunity to share with children what life during war is like. Adult readers, of course, can imagine those trials and immediately grasp the reason for the depth of the emotional connection between Bear and Fred. But for children who know nothing of war, the story risks being a generic tale of a boy who relies on his stuffed bear during "hard times," which are not really explained. Given the intended audience of grades 1 through 4, the author could have allowed children a few glimpses (but not too many) of the seriousness of war, giving young readers a deeper understanding of the vital role Bear played in Fred's life. This sweet and tender book is still an important one, regardless of my amateurish opinions, and I'm so thankful the author became aware of the bear and decided to tell Fred's story. The illustrations are endearing and just perfect. It was wonderful to be able to see a picture of the "real" Bear, who now lives in a museum in Jerusalem. It was as special to me as seeing the original stuffed Winnie the Pooh and friends displayed in the children's section of the NY Public Library.

As I read the beginning of this book non-verbally, I Thought Of my grandchildren And how this would be a wonderful Opportunity, while we are Separated And isolated from each other during the pandemic, To read and record it As a Nana Moment with them Via social media. I thought it would be a wonderful way to provide a history lesson as part of their at home Schooling right now.I'm not Jewish and I have seen no one in my genealogy tree that was either. However, have always known of the Holocaust and sorrowed for the Jewish people that suffered so atrociously at the hands of the Nazi tyrants. The author's depiction from this childlike perspective is amazing. And touches the soul of the younger children and Nanas like me. As I started to read the story aloud it truly became real to me And I didn't get through it without shedding tears.I love having it told through the eyes of that wonderful little teddy bear.I look forward to reading it several times so I can do it without crying and sharing it with my grandchildren as a connection opportunity Between myself and them and with the history of the Jewish people . Thank you!!

War is a subject we seem to want to skip over when teaching children about the world they were born into. The cruelty of it, the horror of it, the waste of it, and even the reasons for it are rarely presented to innocent children, for valid reasons. I was curious about how this story would treat the subject, which seemed to be an odd subject for a children's story. I was pleased to find this treatment to be gentle and sweet. How would a stuffed bear view what was happening to his child? I think Argaman nailed it. The fact that this is based on a true story and the bear exists in a museum make it even better. Add to a great first person...errr bear narration, gentle artwork in subdued colors, and the companionship makes for a great read by itself, as well as a good introduction to the holocaust for children. Great for all ages.

The illustrations are spare and just right. I feel like the pictures add a lot to the loneliness Fred must have felt as he's went into hiding as a young child. Having the book be from the perspective of the bear was perfect. I appreciate the background at the end along with the picture of the bear.

After a brief historical background note the reader is transported back in time. No, not to be introduced to Fred but to Fred's bear whom it appears has traveled a long way to get to safety in Jerusalem. Many tears are shed and it's time for an explanation. Written in first person by Bear, we are then taken back to Delft, Holland. Life at one point in time for Fred's family and neighborhood was a happy one but times are a changing. What is going on? Why is everyone so sad now? Fred and his family are Jews! WWII has come! Can Fred's mama find her son a safe place to stay? Will they all survive? Simply but very effectively illustrated in full color, this is a poignant story for young ones. You'll even get to see a picture of the real bear. (Slight spoiler but an important one as this story is for young children. This true story does have a happy ending.) I highly recommend this book but please note that it is not suitable for all devices so check carefully before purchasing. I downloaded this as my April First Read choice. I was not required to write a review but chose to do so. Thanks, Liz

This tale of a Jewish boy and his best friend, Bear, takes place during WWII. It recounts how the war separated families, but does so in a matter-of-fact way that children can understand. It is a good way to teach children about a sad aspect of the terrible times that affected families and how some managed to survive the trauma. The boy was lucky to have his beloved friend, Bear, throughout. The story is told through the eyes of Bear and us very touching.

This book is amazing! The story is very neat and I really like it that is based on a true story. It’s a very gentle way to introduce little ones to the not so easy situations in life like war, and how much it can change someone’s life from one minute to the another. I too held a special relationship with a stuffed bear of my own and I’ve always have missed my stuffed friend. I too never named him but he was the most cuddly bear. I wasn’t able to keep it because one of my aunts thought I was too old to have stuffed animals but she never understood our special connection. No one understood our friendship and how many secrets too my special bear friend kept. I forever will miss you my special bear friend.

I was given a free copy of the Kindle ARC version of Bear and Fred: A World War II Story through Amazon in exchange for an honest review. Bear and Fred: A World War II Story by Iris Argaman and illustrated by Avi Ofer is a story of a Jewish boy and his toy bear named Bear. As the story progresses, it shows how these two best friends were shipped around Holland and Europe in an effort to escape capture by the German Nazis. The story is told from Bear's perspective, and he is confused during their travels because he does not understand why they have to be separated from Fred's family to stay with other family members and even strangers. Bear doesn't understand why Fred has to have a yellow star sewn on his clothing or why they can't play outside anymore. Through it all, Bear and Fred stay together and remain best friends. My first impression of this book, based off the cover art only, was that the artwork, the manipulation of colors, and the limited color palette was very fitting for the time period. During the time of the World War II and the Holocaust, many beautiful souls were not seen as actual human beings. So, the cover's lack of color for Fred was very appropriate for that time and for what I thought the story was about. The highlighting of Bear's coloring, on the cover, was also appropriate because he was the main narrator of the story. I enjoyed the little historical synopsis about WWII at the beginning. It was short and child-friendly. However, it did not seem to fully capture the appalling nature of the War and Holocaust. Maybe this was because the author did not want to scare the young readers. The limited color palette throughout the entire book did an amazing job of evoking emotions in the form of confusion, sadness, and loneliness. The uniformity of color, or lack of, through the book was very fitting and made the flow of the book even. I really liked the subdued colors and how they made me feel what Bear was feeling...even without words. As far as the story was concerned, I thought that it was greatly lacking in depth. If I would not have first read the title and the historical note OR been familiar with World War II, I would have been very confused about what was going on. Aside from being separated from their family and being made to live with other family members and strangers, this book could have almost left out the Holocaust/WW II altogether and just been a sweet story of a boy and his toy bear. OR, it could have been about any Jewish child during that time period. Overall, I loved the colors of this book as well as the artwork, but I was very disappointed in the story line and think it would benefit from adding more depth and details to really capture what was going on at the time. I believe that it is possible to add more details without frightening or scaring children who read it. It definitely has the potential to be something great and informative for children. I gave this book 3.5 stars mainly for the artwork and color uniformity throughout the book.

A touching short story for children with charming illustrations. Written in simple language so easy for young children to understand. Based on true events about a Jewish boy’s experience of moving from his home in Delft to Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation. All the while Fred was accompanied by his best friend – Bear. Chosen because the title and picture caught my attention. As a mature adult, who still has her childhood bear, I found it a poignant read.

During a terrible time, when Jews all over Europe were being rounded up, or searching for hiding places, a small bear was given to a little boy to help him cope. This touching story helped that boy, Fred, survive during that long and dangerous period.

The story of Fred Lessing in World War II told through the eyes of his teddy bear. Both heartwarming and full of hope. A good accompaniment to any learning children may do about the Holocaust and a must read for adults too. Beautifully illustrated.

This magical book about the special bear who took care of Fred during the Holocaust when he was a child and accompanied him throughout his life is an important book also. It might be a little over-long, but you really get a feel for their close relationship. Told from the perspective of the Teddy Bear, we hear how scary those years in Holland during the Holocaust were, how Bear felt then and what he did to help Fred get through them. The language is simple, so it’s best read aloud to young children or for young independent readers. The illustrations are lovely if not vibrant and give a good sense of the bears narrow world. The additional information at the end of the book tells of how the author became captivated by this story and wanted to write this book. How she researched and developed it. There is also some very simplified information on WWII and the Holocaust so that children gain a little perspective.

A beautifully written story. Simply told with great sensitivity through Fred's teddy bear. A good introduction for children to learn just a sense of what happened during that time.