Buy new:
-19% $7.24
FREE delivery Sunday, May 19 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$7.24 with 19 percent savings
List Price: $8.99

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Sunday, May 19 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Wednesday, May 15. Order within 21 hrs 56 mins
In Stock
$$7.24 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$7.24
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day easy returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$5.98
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
This item shows wear including some highlighting or writing. This item shows wear including some highlighting or writing. See less
FREE delivery Monday, May 20 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Wednesday, May 15. Order within 21 hrs 56 mins
Only 2 left in stock - order soon.
$$7.24 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$7.24
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Lynd Ward
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Biggest Bear: A Caldecott Award Winner Paperback – Picture Book, March 15, 1973

by Lynd Ward (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 343 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$7.24","priceAmount":7.24,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"7","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"24","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"5G47%2BD4UcvHgnsBvo06bdl08KgvAS6qFBdLRF%2B7g4WWPaM9q6gZStzTh4c8nWD0NfiGN%2FTrMECIqcrV2PH1kwjdfNUcmIHlodNFZWD8m3WgqS6shk7ZBRCAmKWBwImGB1VepAhmx1a8%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$5.98","priceAmount":5.98,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"5","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"98","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"5G47%2BD4UcvHgnsBvo06bdl08KgvAS6qFSVf4SDcZinaKAJLzlRQ0UI2aVaBlw9EFwDxgZKmwcNKwLxzdUAZEU2pdjutgo5qD%2F0BrUkkDCK%2FiRkV601lTu%2Fn%2BeVe1P7M1sAJ%2FJEX4T5SoeaRqSi4zpmMRWygDllUR3fCmZKkT8sxZHh%2FGkIGu3j4g2q9ViJUz","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

A classic favorite picture book, winner of the Caldecott Medal 

Johnny hunts for the biggest bear in the forest, but comes home with a little bear—that grows and grows and grows....

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    3 - 7 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    88 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 3
  5. Lexile measure
    770L
  6. Dimensions
    7.56 x 0.25 x 10.5 inches
  7. Publisher
    Clarion Books
  8. Publication date
    March 15, 1973
  9. ISBN-10
    0395150248
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0395150245
  11. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

The Biggest Bear: A Caldecott Award Winner
$7.24
Get it as soon as Sunday, May 19
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Blueberries for Sal
$6.74
Get it as soon as Sunday, May 19
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (Sandpiper Books)
$6.19
Get it as soon as Sunday, May 19
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Some of his best pictures supplement the story . . . An outstanding book in every way." Horn Book

"Some of his best pictures supplement the story . . . An outstanding book in every way." Horn Book Guide —

About the Author

LYND WARD (1905-1985) illustrated more than two hundred books for children and adults throughout his prolific career. Winner of the Caldecott Medal for his watercolors in The Biggest Bear, Mr. Ward was also famous for his wood engravings, which are featured in museum collections throughout the United States and abroad.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarion Books; Illustrated edition (March 15, 1973)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 88 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0395150248
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0395150245
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 770L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.56 x 0.25 x 10.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 343 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Lynd Ward

Lynd Ward

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Lynd Kendall Ward (June 26, 1905 – June 28, 1985) was an American artist and storyteller, known for his series of wordless novels using wood engraving, and his illustrations for juvenile and adult books. His wordless novels have influenced the development of the graphic novel. Strongly associated with his wood engravings, he also worked in watercolor, oil, brush and ink, lithography and mezzotint.[1] Ward was a son of Methodist minister and political organizer Harry F. Ward.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
343 global ratings
I was so happy when the book arrived but I was quickly disappointed ...
5 Stars
I was so happy when the book arrived but I was quickly disappointed ...
Stars are for the story, I ordered this in school when I was in 3rd grade. I saved it and took care of it and was able to share it with my first child. Sadly my second child destroyed the book a few years ago. I assumed I’d never find it again but of course I was wrong. Amazon for the save.Yes the story is a bit violent but it’s also ‘real’ world stuff. People do hunt, people do skin animals and people do capture animals and put them in zoos. If any of that offends you than this isn’t the story for you. I see the story as having lots of teachable moments for parents and their kids.I was so happy when the book arrived but I was quickly disappointed because my copy had about 8 pages that were damaged. So I would rate the product itself at 3 stars, thought it’s nice quality and made with heavy weight paper, my book was damaged.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2024
Verified Purchase
Read this to my son 30 years ago and treasured this sweet story. Recently purchased to read to my grandchildren. It is a heartwarming book and would highly recommend reading to children. My grown son even listened again as I read it to my grandson ❤️
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Aidyl
5.0 out of 5 stars A book that takes me right back to my childhood!
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2015
Verified Purchase
Why I Choose this Book

Sniff. Sniff. This book takes me back to my childhood in a glorious rush. A beautiful childhood, by the way, filled with playing in the woods and then cuddling up with Mom and my siblings at night to get a bedtime story. The Biggest Bear was one of our often-chosen books. We all loved it so much that several years ago I think about half of our family gave each other copies for Christmas.

What I Thought about this Book

I don't have any documentation, but I think I probably cried over this book and most likely more than once. It's practically as perfect as books get. The story is short but has the ability to draw you in from the very beginning. The antics of the bear took turns making me giggle, feel horrified and dream of one day having a wild pet of my own. (That desire was eventually transferred from bear to coyote and eventually dropped altogether... Unless you consider my dream for a de-scented skunk to be relevant.)
The illustrations are also amazing. I really like how they are in brown and white. It gives the book an old feeling that matches the story perfectly. The drawings are also very detailed and I used to dream of being able to create such lovely visuals.

Conclusion

This is another one of those books that is simply amazing and I'm so thankful to authors who write like this.
Rating

I'm giving The Biggest Bear five stars and recommend it to everyone who enjoys a good story.
14 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Donald Wayne Demko
5.0 out of 5 stars Old School Awesome
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2019
Verified Purchase
Lynd Ward's classic "The Biggest Bear" is one of of those books almost every little boy growing up in the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's would have read and loved. The sepia-toned illustrations are incredible, and the story of a boy who raises a bear cub that grows up to be a behemoth that cannot be controlled is the kind of story that never disappointed. In a modern context, however, I am not sure if a lot of modern parents and their children will appreciate it. In our politically correct culture the story's ending involves the young boy loading a shotgun to "take down" his old and beloved friend (you can see the boy, Johnny, holding the gun on the book's cover.) While the kids of my generation would have seen that as just part of the reality of the world, obviously the newer generations look at themes like this in a totally different light. The story ends without bloodshed, but I'm not sure if that matters to a lot of people nowadays. It's too bad. This is a great book, and it deserves its place in the sun, even as it approaches its 70th anniversary. Confronting difficult choices in life is always a superb story line in any children's book, and will make any little boy or girl able to see that life isn't always easy. Responsibility was just as tough in 1952 as it is today.
25 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jamie
5.0 out of 5 stars Beloved by 4 kids
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2023
Verified Purchase
My kids range from 9 to 5 and they loved this book. It always is brought for storytime!
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars So glad this is still available
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is one of my absolute favorite books from my childhood and looking forward to passing a copy on to my grand nieces and nephews. The illustrations are fantastic. People who criticize this book as "morally outdated" or not politically correct are out of touch with the reality of life and I feel sorry that they think they can keep their kids sheltered and still expect them to be able to handle the challenges that will come along in the adult world.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Vroom vroom, beep beep
5.0 out of 5 stars I was so happy when the book arrived but I was quickly disappointed ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2017
Verified Purchase
Stars are for the story, I ordered this in school when I was in 3rd grade. I saved it and took care of it and was able to share it with my first child. Sadly my second child destroyed the book a few years ago. I assumed I’d never find it again but of course I was wrong. Amazon for the save.
Yes the story is a bit violent but it’s also ‘real’ world stuff. People do hunt, people do skin animals and people do capture animals and put them in zoos. If any of that offends you than this isn’t the story for you. I see the story as having lots of teachable moments for parents and their kids.
I was so happy when the book arrived but I was quickly disappointed because my copy had about 8 pages that were damaged. So I would rate the product itself at 3 stars, thought it’s nice quality and made with heavy weight paper, my book was damaged.
Customer image
Vroom vroom, beep beep
5.0 out of 5 stars I was so happy when the book arrived but I was quickly disappointed ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2017
Stars are for the story, I ordered this in school when I was in 3rd grade. I saved it and took care of it and was able to share it with my first child. Sadly my second child destroyed the book a few years ago. I assumed I’d never find it again but of course I was wrong. Amazon for the save.
Yes the story is a bit violent but it’s also ‘real’ world stuff. People do hunt, people do skin animals and people do capture animals and put them in zoos. If any of that offends you than this isn’t the story for you. I see the story as having lots of teachable moments for parents and their kids.
I was so happy when the book arrived but I was quickly disappointed because my copy had about 8 pages that were damaged. So I would rate the product itself at 3 stars, thought it’s nice quality and made with heavy weight paper, my book was damaged.
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
7 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Papi Crabtree
5.0 out of 5 stars The Biggest Bear
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2012
Verified Purchase
My Grandmother used to read this book to us and our cousins. I don't know what eventually happened to that book, but I remembered it when I was doing a unit about pets with some preschool age children and knew that it would be a perfect story for them. I had to have a copy of my own again, and not just to read to them!

It's a sweet story that's hard in some places, about a boy's change of mind and heart. At first, all he wants is a bearskin on his family's barn, like all the other hunters in the valley. Then, he just wants to take care of the little bear cub that was orphaned by all that hunting. As the bear gets bigger and more destructive, he has to make some very hard decisions about what a good pet is and what a good pet owner has to do sometimes. The class was absolutely silent at the illustration where the boy has to go get his gun, but the (much happier!) solution to the problem of the Biggest Bear engaged all their minds and conversations for the rest of the afternoon!
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jake
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story, still love it after all these years
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
I've loved this book when I was a small boy so I bought it for my newborn son. I realize times change, and some things that happened way back when aren't exactly what some people think should happen today. The book may be "outdated" but it's still a fun adventure. Some people just take things entirely to serious.....see review below.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Sbann
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful illustration, great story!
Reviewed in Canada on October 28, 2020
Verified Purchase
Great story of times past. Love this book !
Report
Stachel
5.0 out of 5 stars Item received in excellent condition. It was acquired as a gift for ...
Reviewed in Canada on June 9, 2015
Verified Purchase
Item received in excellent condition. It was acquired as a gift for a person who remembered it as written by a local author. The intendant receipient loved it.
Report