Bear just isn't in the mood to play with Bug. She lumbers off to her cave for a nap but Bug buzzes after her as he thinks they are playing 'chase'! Bad-tempered Bear gets increasingly huffy and decides to hide from Bug instead. Of course Bug finds her and thinks it's an invitation to play hide-and-seek. And so it goes on. Each time Bear tries to shake off Bug, Bug - in his enthusiasm to play - gets the wrong end of the stick, and so each time adds to Bear's exasperation. Then Bear snaps. She tells Bug to go away and finally she gets to have her nap. But Bear feels bad for being mean so she comes back out of her cave to look for Bug and finds him floating and forlorn on a water-lily pad. Bear wades out into the lake and brings Bug back to the shore. 'You are my very best friend. Would you like to play now?' said Bear. 'I'm too tired to play,' said Bug, shaking the water from his wings. 'I think I'd like to have a nap.' And so they did. Together. A story that celebrates the resilience of real friendship - this is an important and reassuring truth for children to know from the earliest age.

 

There are 32 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2011 by Oxford University Press .

Layn Marlow grew up in Essex. After studying history of art at Reading University, Layn began her career working in libraries. She lived in Belgium for several years but it was on her return to the UK that she enrolled as a mature student at Southampton University and received a first class degree in illustration. Layn now lives in Hampshire with her husband, two children, a hamster and a goldfish. For relaxation she loves listening to the radio, knitting and karate! Ann Bonwill grew up in America. Her mother worked as a children's librarian so Ann was always surrounded by books and she loved to read and write stories throughout her childhood. After gaining a psychology degree and a master's degree in social work, Ann worked in a variety of social care positions in schools and hospitals and taught at a Montessori school. Ann lives in the US with her husband and young son. Simon Rickerty has been drawing pictures and creating characters ever since he can remember. He studied illustration at the London College of Communication and graduated in graphic and media design. He then went on to complete a masters in communication, art and design at the Royal College of Art. Simon lives in Somerset.