Young Larry

Larry the Polar Bear #1

by Daniel Pinkwater, Jill Pinkwater (Illustrator)

After being hit on the head by his mother and told to fend for himself, Larry the polar bear floats from Baffin Bay to New Jersey where he gets a job as a lifeguard.

Genres: Picture Books, Fiction, Childrens, Animals, Juvenile, Humor

32 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1997

About the author

Daniel Manus Pinkwater is an author of mostly children's books and is an occasional commentator on National Public Radio. He attended Bard College. Well-known books include Lizard Music, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, Fat Men from Space, Borgel, and the picture book The Big Orange Splot. Pinkwater has also illustrated many of his books in the past, although for more recent works that task has passed to his wife Jill Pinkwater.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those readers with a fondness for sentimental reassurance tales, in which fuzzy, anthropomorphized animals embody parental and/or filial devotion, are advised to keep looking. This is a Pinkwater book, and although by no means realistic - Larry is a polar bear who becomes a lifeguard in Bayonne, New Jersey, after all - its hero is definitely not meant to be "human." The hilarious exchange between Larry, his brother Roy, and his mother at the beginning of the book, is the perfect example of that sly humor for which Daniel Pinkwater is so celebrated:

"One day, I will give you a hit in the head myself," their mother said. "And send you off to take care of yourselves."
"Wow. That is harsh," Larry and Roy said.
"It is Nature's way," Larry and Roy's mother said.
"Well, I don't like it," Larry said.
"Nobody is asking you to like it. You are bears. Get used to it."

Accompanied by Jill Pinkwater's droll illustrations, this first picture book about the adventures of a very unusual polar bear will entertain young (and not-so-young) readers with an appreciation for the absurd. I myself discovered the Pinkwaters through their marvelous books about Irving and Muktuk (two Bad Bears), and was thrilled when I realized that there was an earlier, related series of books. An absolute must for Pinkwater fans - particular those who want to see the beginning of the polar bear obsession with blueberry muffins!

[Phil J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing Daniel Pinkwater's obsession with polar bears who eat blueberry muffins. Recommended for people who like straight-faced absurdity. My five year old said it was great, although she wanted to know more about Larry's brother, Roy.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve worked my way through the five Bad Bears Irving and Muktuk books by these authors and love them. Larry appears in that series and was not one of my favorite characters there but in this book I found him extremely endearing. This book is silly and sweet and while not side splitting, funny at times. This did seem geared to young children (although I enjoyed it!) and the Bad Bears books have references that are obviously specifically to entertain adults. Jill Pinkwater’s illustrations are very good in this; they get amazing in the Bad Bears books. Since I read the five Bad Bears books that are published so far, even though they came after this, I now consider this a prequel, and I’ll have to read the others in the Larry series. Because Larry is seen in the first part of this book as a cub, more real polar bear behaviors are covered in this book. Of course, as Larry grows up, the story becomes a delightful fantasy.

[Int'l librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Larry knows what he wants – blueberry muffins. Because he’s kind, helpful, honest, and very good at asking sensible questions, he has a great chance of satisfying his desires. The fact that Larry is a medium-sized polar bear is a bit of a problem, but not insurmountable.

This is a wonderful story to reinforce the value of doing good. And it’s funny in such a matter-of-fact way. I love it when mom explains how she’ll one day send Larry and her brother away, and when she describes the quality of humans of food. It love it when Larry says, “Wow. That is harsh.” And “This is as good as those other ones.” And “I have never claimed to be anything else.”

Jill Pinkwater’s illustrations are playful and smiley. My favorites: Larry and Roy catching muffins from the boat, the bear family watching the boat, Larry lazing with a branch in his teeth, and Larry drinking tea. Larry’s a little thin in some of the other pics, but his heart is always full.

[Sarah S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laid-back polar bear Larry grows up in the Arctic and develops a taste for blueberry muffins after an encounter with a boat. He ends up drifting to New Jersey on an ice floe and working as a lifeguard in exchange for muffins. This is a fun book, but some kids may be confused by Larry's mom hitting him and his brother on the head and telling them to get lost and fend for themselves ("Wow. That is harsh," Larry and Roy said. "It is Nature's way," Larry and Roy's mother said). Grades preK - 3.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I might like the Larry books, for a slightly younger audience, even more than the Irving and Muktuk books. I'll def. keep reading & checking!

[ACS Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Larry knows what he wants 13 blueberry muffins. Because he 19s kind, helpful, honest, and very good at asking sensible questions 13 he has a great chance of satisfying his desires. The fact that Larry is a medium-sized polar bear is a bit of a problem, but not insurmountable.

This is a wonderful story to reinforce the value of doing good. And it 19s funny in such a matter-of-fact way. I love it when mom explains how she 19ll one day send Larry and her brother away, and when she describes the quality of humans of food. It love it when Larry says, 1CWow. That is harsh. 1D And 1CThis is as good as those other ones. 1D And 1CI have never claimed to be anything else. 1D

Jill Pinkwater 19s illustrations are playful and smiley. My favorites: Larry and Roy catching muffins from the boat, the bear family watching the boat, Larry lazing with a branch in his teeth, and Larry drinking tea. Larry 19s a little thin in some of the other pics, but his heart is always full.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

07/09: We appreciated this look at Larry's beginnings.

Amazon Book Description: PreSchool-Grade 3.
The eccentric brilliance of the Pinkwaters shines brightly in this pair of books featuring Larry the polar bear. Young Larry and his brother Roy are a couple of regular cubs, with an absent father of whom they are nonetheless proud ("He found a dead whale one time, and ate the whole thing himself") and a typical polar bear mother ("One day, I will give you a hit in the head myself...and send you off to take care of yourselves"). When that day finally comes, Larry discovers that being a grown-up bear is downright boring. He curls up on the ice for a nap in Baffin Bay and wakes up in Bayonne, New Jersey. His taste for muffins leads him to a job as a lifeguard, and his rescue of a Mr. Martin Frobisher leads him to the sequel.

[Angela Skeie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic and funny book. My sister got this for my son (she picked it out really fast), which I had to think twice about after reading it. Despite its looks, it’s not quite what you want to tuck your kid in with at night.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book's oddball humor is classic Pinkwater-style weirdness and if that matches your sense of humor, then this book is definitely worth a look. As the earliest book in a series of Larry stories, this one is the start of something fun. And once again, it's another story that lands in New Jersey.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is much too text-heavy for a storytime--even for school-age. Not enough in the pictures to keep their attention while you read all that. But it is humorous (and silly!) to see where Larry "came from."

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pinkwater tells a story that adults and kids can love. Especially over a bag of muffins.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pinkwater has such a quirky sense of humor. This story of Larry as a cub and how he arrived in Bayonne , NJ loving blueberry muffins is one of them.