Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This highly original book by author David Michael Slater is a fascinating picture book that enthralled me from cover to cover, even as it captivated children all around the world. Published by Flashlight Press, one of my favorite children's publishing houses, the book is geared for children ages 4-8, a category I love to read.
The Ring Bear has a little bit of everything: love, joy, anger, fear, family unity, humor, adventure and much more. It deals with the serious subject of parental remarriage. The main character is a young boy named Westley who is used to his mother being a single parent and has adjusted to life without a father. His world is turned upside down when she decides to remarry.
In order to help her son with his objection to the marriage and assuage his anger and fear, his mother tells him he's going to be the ring bearer at the wedding--hoping this will make him feel more secure. Westley thinks she said "ring bear," so he comes to the wedding dressed as a bear and tries to scare everyone away.
That's when the problems--and the fun--begin. What happens then? How do the wedding guests react? How do his mother and Stan, his future stepfather, take it? Is there a happy solution to this problem, a situation that sadly happens more and more often in today's world? If so, how does it happen? Will the troubled boy finally come to realize how much his mother loves him and learn to trust her? And what does Stan do to break the ice with Westley?
Obviously, I can't tell you any more without spoiling the plot, but I can tell you that despite the serious theme, this is a book that has many giggles for you and your little ones. It's a warm-hearted book that will tug at your heart-strings ... as you cry one minute, laugh the next.
Slater makes his characters so believable you will feel like you are there with them, and no one will be able to forget the mischievous, yet endearing Westley. The colorful, charming illustrations by talented artist S. G. Brooks enhance the story-line, helping bring it even more alive.
This unusual wedding adventure is a touching book which will be helpful for children whose parents are remarrying. I recommend it highly. If you feel the same, look for Grandfather's Wrinkles, Grandpa for Sale, and Carla's Sandwich ... other releases by this same popular publisher whose editor has the uncanny ability to know what children enjoy reading.
Review by: Betty Dravis, 2008
author of The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley
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Full of warmth and gentle humor, this is the story of Westley, an imaginative, precocious boy, and his struggle with the intrusion of an unwanted new stepdad into the happy, comfortable family he and his mother have formed. When Westley's mother announces her engagement to Stan and asks Westley to be the "ring bear," he feels confused, frustrated, and anxious about his changing family situation and his role in the wedding ceremony. Engaging his imagination, he envisions himself as a rascally bear who will wreak havoc during the ceremony and act out his mixed feelings about his mother and Stan. When his stepdad realizes the importance of Westley's imaginary world, he reveals his own sense of humor and fun by planning a special wedding treat for Westley that helps him transform himself into a willing ring bearer and stepson.
