{"id":907,"date":"2020-11-05T09:54:52","date_gmt":"2020-11-05T01:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/?p=907"},"modified":"2025-09-13T14:18:38","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T06:18:38","slug":"sambear2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/2020\/11\/05\/sambear2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Moment and Eter\u00adni\u00adty: Ded\u00adi\u00adcat\u00aded to the Won\u00adder\u00adful Fam\u00adi\u00adly Time"},"content":{"rendered":"


Read\u00ading these three pic\u00adture books fea\u00adtur\u00ading bear Sam, a child of Amy Hurst and Ani\u00adta Jielang, will delight chil\u00addren and adults alike. While pre\u00adsent\u00aded as fairy tales, the sto\u00adries are actu\u00adal\u00adly about every\u00adday par\u00adent-child moments, cen\u00adtered sole\u00adly on the rela\u00adtion\u00adship between Sam and his moth\u00ader.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The first book, \u201cGood\u00adnight, Kiss,\u201d (first pub\u00adlished in 2001), tells the sto\u00adry of a com\u00admon bed\u00adtime rit\u00adu\u00adal: Lit\u00adtle Bear Sam, it\u2019s time for bed, but he keeps say\u00ading he\u2019s not ready yet and is still wait\u00ading, but he won\u2019t say what he\u2019s wait\u00ading for. Moth\u00ader Bear, whether gen\u00aduine\u00adly con\u00adfused or just pre\u00adtend\u00ading, reads her a bed\u00adtime sto\u00adry, tucks her in, tucks Sam\u2019s stuffed friends in, and gives him some warm milk. But Sam still refus\u00ades to sleep, anx\u00adious\u00adly say\u00ading, \u201cYou know what I\u2019m doing.\u201d Moth\u00ader Bear thinks and thinks, and final\u00adly remem\u00adbers\u2026<\/span>
The sec\u00adond book, \u201cSam, Are You Feel\u00ading Sick?\u201d (first pub\u00adlished in 2002), deals with a rather unusu\u00adal yet com\u00admon sit\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion: a sick baby who refus\u00ades to take med\u00adi\u00adcine! Just before bed, on a cold night on qui\u00adet May Street, Sam, hav\u00ading com\u00adplet\u00aded his bed\u00adtime rit\u00adu\u00adal, sud\u00adden\u00adly devel\u00adops a cough. His moth\u00ader must give him syrup before he can fall asleep, but the clever lit\u00adtle Sam always finds excus\u00ades to refuse. What to do? After sev\u00ader\u00adal attempts, his patient and resource\u00adful moth\u00ader final\u00adly comes up with a solu\u00adtion. Final\u00adly, they cud\u00addle by the fire, wait\u00ading togeth\u00ader\u2026<\/span>
The third book, \u201cSam, You Can Do It\u201d (first pub\u00adlished in 2003), tells the sto\u00adry of a snowy morn\u00ading on May Street, where lit\u00adtle Sam and his moth\u00ader bake and deliv\u00ader cakes to their neigh\u00adbors. The most inter\u00adest\u00ading part of the sto\u00adry is that his moth\u00ader parks her car on the road out\u00adside the neigh\u00adbors\u2019 homes, leav\u00ading Sam to walk through the deep snow alone to deliv\u00ader the cakes, one by one, to their doorsteps (as sur\u00adpris\u00ades). Sam suc\u00adceeds! In the end, he dis\u00adcov\u00aders two cakes left\u2014surprises for his moth\u00ader and him\u00adself!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Despite being three sim\u00adple sto\u00adries, the cre\u00adative process took three years. Set in a qui\u00adet, small-town neigh\u00adbor\u00adhood called May Street, the sto\u00adries unfold dur\u00ading the grad\u00adu\u00adal\u00adly cool\u00ading autumn and win\u00adter sea\u00adsons. From dark, windswept nights scat\u00adter\u00ading fall\u00aden leaves to chilly nights about to see the first snow\u00adfall, and final\u00adly to morn\u00adings thick with snow, the author seems to be hint\u00ading at a cer\u00adtain chrono\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal pro\u00adgres\u00adsion. Lit\u00adtle Sam tru\u00adly grows over the three books, from his dai\u00adly demands for kiss\u00ades (the promise of love), to his courage sparked by minor ill\u00adness\u00ades, to his enthu\u00adsi\u00adas\u00adtic par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpa\u00adtion in and inde\u00adpen\u00addent com\u00adple\u00adtion of appro\u00adpri\u00adate com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty tasks\u2014readers of all ages will sure\u00adly exclaim, \u201cWell, Sam has grown up!\u201d Yet, the nar\u00adra\u00adtive is clev\u00ader\u00adly repet\u00adi\u00adtive, main\u00adtain\u00ading a sim\u00adi\u00adlar struc\u00adture and rhythm amidst the changes. For exam\u00adple, the sto\u00adry always begins on May Street and then moves to Sam\u2019s home. After sev\u00ader\u00adal repeat\u00aded, pro\u00adgres\u00adsive inter\u00adac\u00adtions, it inevitably returns to the embrace of moth\u00ader and child, before return\u00ading to the May Street exte\u00adri\u00ador. Start\u00ading from the sec\u00adond book, at the end of the sto\u00adry, Moth\u00ader Bear tells Sam the sto\u00adry of \u201cLit\u00adtle Bear Called Sam\u201d. This inti\u00admate review game is not only full of the promise of love, but also con\u00adtains appre\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion and affir\u00adma\u00adtion that makes chil\u00addren par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly proud.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n


The ded\u00adi\u00adca\u00adtions in these three books are par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly note\u00adwor\u00adthy; they all involve \u201cSam,\u201d with phras\u00ades like \u201cYou know why (ded\u00adi\u00adcat\u00aded to you)\u201d or \u201cTo Sam and Kate and those warm, cozy evenings.\u201d Or, \u201cTo Sam. Remem\u00adber the day we walked through the deep snow on Broad\u00adway?\u201d This Sam is author Amy Hurst\u2019s son, and Kate is her daugh\u00adter. The sto\u00adries of Bear Sam are large\u00adly based on mem\u00ado\u00adries of grow\u00ading up with her son Sam. Amy was already over 50 when she wrote these books, and her son Sam was already an adult.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Born in 1950, Amy is a promi\u00adnent con\u00adtem\u00adpo\u00adrary Amer\u00adi\u00adcan chil\u00addren\u2019s book writer, writ\u00ading both pic\u00adture books and chil\u00addren\u2019s nov\u00adels. Her works have won numer\u00adous awards, the most notable of which is the 1997 Green\u00adaway Medal for \u201cRide the Waves,\u201d which tells the sto\u00adry of Jesse, an East\u00adern Euro\u00adpean Jew\u00adish girl who immi\u00adgrates to the Unit\u00aded States. Although the Green\u00adaway Medal was pri\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly award\u00aded to illus\u00adtra\u00adtor P.J. Lynch, the sto\u00adry\u2019s res\u00ado\u00adnant and cap\u00adti\u00advat\u00ading impact on read\u00aders is undoubt\u00aded\u00adly due to the author\u2019s con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adtions. Amy is adept at focus\u00ading on fam\u00adi\u00adly rela\u00adtion\u00adships through the lens of every\u00adday life. An Amer\u00adi\u00adcan chil\u00addren\u2019s book crit\u00adic\u2019s over\u00adall assess\u00adment of her work is: \u201cShe has pro\u00adduced a sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant body of work that reflects a child\u00adhood per\u00adspec\u00adtive on fam\u00adi\u00adly, pre\u00adsent\u00ading uni\u00adver\u00adsal truths from the con\u00adcrete details of life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Amy is a writer who places a spe\u00adcial empha\u00adsis on obser\u00adva\u00adtion and accu\u00admu\u00adla\u00adtion. She describes her method of gath\u00ader\u00ading mate\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal as \u201cdetec\u00adtive work,\u201d con\u00adstant\u00adly curi\u00adous\u00adly \u201cpry\u00ading\u201d into oth\u00aders\u2019 secrets, often mere\u00adly the triv\u00adi\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties of life. These three sto\u00adries about Sam the Bear clear\u00adly stem from her explo\u00adrations of her own life with her chil\u00addren. She did\u00adn\u2019t write them down when her son was young, but years lat\u00ader, when he had grown up, she could\u00adn\u2019t help but revis\u00adit those won\u00adder\u00adful times togeth\u00ader. Each scene from the past is a fleet\u00ading moment, but for this eye\u00adwit\u00adness and \u201cauthor detec\u00adtive,\u201d they are indeli\u00adble, endur\u00ading, and heart\u00adwarm\u00ading mem\u00ado\u00adries.<\/span>
Coin\u00adci\u00adden\u00adtal\u00adly, the illus\u00adtra\u00adtor for this book is also a moth\u00ader of three, Ani\u00adta Jeron from the UK. Does that name ring a bell? Yes, she\u2019s the illus\u00adtra\u00adtor of the super-best\u00adselling \u201cGuess How Much I Love You.\u201d How\u00adev\u00ader, read\u00aders might find the illus\u00adtra\u00adtion style of this book a bit strange: it seems com\u00adplete\u00adly dif\u00adfer\u00adent! A clos\u00ader look reveals that the ges\u00adtures and expres\u00adsions of the lit\u00adtle bear inter\u00adact\u00ading with his moth\u00ader and with the lit\u00adtle and big rab\u00adbits share a com\u00admon thread, but the paint\u00ading tech\u00adniques of the two books are indeed quite dif\u00adfer\u00adent. \u201cGuess How Much I Love You\u201d uses soft water\u00adcol\u00adors for a more tran\u00adquil and roman\u00adtic feel, while the sto\u00adries of lit\u00adtle bear Sam are paint\u00aded with rich acrylic paint, giv\u00ading them a touch of oil paint\u00ading. While still ele\u00adgant, the brush\u00adstrokes are bold\u00ader and more rugged, con\u00advey\u00ading a stronger and more pas\u00adsion\u00adate sense of emo\u00adtion.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Ani\u00adta, born in 1965, loved draw\u00ading and ani\u00admals from a young age. Unsure of her future career, she tried var\u00adi\u00adous jobs, includ\u00ading work\u00ading in a tal\u00adcum pow\u00adder and pota\u00adto chip fac\u00adto\u00adry, as a shop assis\u00adtant, and as a dog keep\u00ader at a ken\u00adnel. Encour\u00adaged by her hus\u00adband, a pale\u00adon\u00adtol\u00ado\u00adgist, she enrolled in uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty to study illus\u00adtra\u00adtion. Unex\u00adpect\u00aded\u00adly, before grad\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion, she was dis\u00adcov\u00adered by the renowned Walk\u00ader Book Com\u00adpa\u00adny and embarked on a career in chil\u00addren\u2019s book illus\u00adtra\u00adtion. The unex\u00adpect\u00aded suc\u00adcess of \u201cGuess How Much I Love You\u201d brought her immense fame and gen\u00ader\u00adous roy\u00adal\u00adties, but it did\u00adn\u2019t go to her head. She con\u00adtin\u00adued to explore new pos\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adties, includ\u00ading explor\u00ading new paths in illus\u00adtra\u00adtion and expand\u00ading into design. She declined per\u00adson\u00adal work and main\u00adtained a relaxed pace, ded\u00adi\u00adcat\u00ading her\u00adself to enjoy\u00ading a peace\u00adful fam\u00adi\u00adly life. Today, the fam\u00adi\u00adly lives in a semi-seclud\u00aded state in North\u00adern Ire\u00adland.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Ani\u00adta\u2019s illus\u00adtra\u00adtions are the per\u00adfect fit to illus\u00adtrate the fam\u00adi\u00adly val\u00adues embod\u00adied in the sto\u00adries of Lit\u00adtle Sam Bear. Ani\u00adta and Amy share a deeply sym\u00adpa\u00adthet\u00adic under\u00adstand\u00ading of fam\u00adi\u00adly, and both moth\u00aders deeply rel\u00adish the del\u00adi\u00adcate yet play\u00adful aspects of par\u00adent-child life. A care\u00adful exam\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion of the details in the text and illus\u00adtra\u00adtions reveals that Moth\u00ader Bear plays games with Lit\u00adtle Sam almost con\u00adstant\u00adly. Kiss\u00ading him good\u00adnight is a game, teas\u00ading him to take his med\u00adi\u00adcine is anoth\u00ader, and tak\u00ading him out to sur\u00adprise the neigh\u00adbors (and ulti\u00admate\u00adly him\u00adself) is also a game. These three seem\u00ading\u00adly every\u00adday, sim\u00adple sto\u00adries are sur\u00adpris\u00ading\u00adly engag\u00ading to read because they\u2019re all about play\u00ading games. Just imag\u00adine, if our dai\u00adly inter\u00adac\u00adtions with our chil\u00addren were char\u00adac\u00adter\u00adized by games, with min\u00adi\u00admal lec\u00adtures, would\u00adn\u2019t our chil\u00addren\u2019s devel\u00adop\u00adment be more suc\u00adcess\u00adful, and would our dai\u00adly lives be more enjoy\u00adable?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n


As a moth\u00ader of three, Ani\u00adta under\u00adstands chil\u00addren well. Per\u00adhaps even hav\u00ading her own chil\u00addren, she delights in bury\u00ading play\u00adful details with\u00adin the illus\u00adtrat\u00aded world. Beyond the cen\u00adtral sto\u00adry\u00adline that runs through all three books, there\u2019s a play\u00adful lit\u00adtle fox, some\u00adtimes chas\u00ading leaves, some\u00adtimes play\u00ading with snow\u00adballs, some\u00adtimes seem\u00ading\u00adly build\u00ading a snow\u00adman, and some\u00adtimes even befriend\u00ading birds and mice. The lit\u00adtle mouse scur\u00adry\u00ading around the room in \u201cGood\u00adnight, Kiss\u201d reminds me of the mouse in \u201cGood\u00adnight, Moon.\u201d Both mice have their own sto\u00adries, don\u2019t they? What role does this lit\u00adtle mouse, who also appears through\u00adout all three books, play in the sto\u00adry?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Regard\u00ading details like these in the pic\u00adtures, it\u2019s rec\u00adom\u00admend\u00aded not to active\u00adly point them out to chil\u00addren dur\u00ading par\u00adent-child read\u00ading. Adults can read more slow\u00adly, turn\u00ading the pages a bit slow\u00ader, and chil\u00addren will like\u00adly quick\u00adly dis\u00adcov\u00ader them. Once they\u2019ve dis\u00adcov\u00adered and enjoyed their sur\u00adprise, ask them about \u201cThe Sto\u00adry of the Lit\u00adtle Fox\u201d or \u201cThe Sto\u00adry of the Lit\u00adtle Mouse.\u201d They\u2019ll undoubt\u00aded\u00adly be able to cre\u00adate sto\u00adries just as engag\u00ading as Sam the Bear\u2019s\u2026 This, of course, is the heart\u00adfelt hope of both the author and the illus\u00adtra\u00adtor.<\/span>
 <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writ\u00adten in Bei\u00adjing on Sep\u00adtem\u00adber 4, 2020<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Read\u00ading three vol\u00adumes of Sam Bear\u2019s pic\u00adture books on par\u00adent\u00ading<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":908,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,23,12],"tags":[8,5,29,6,26],"class_list":["post-907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-review","category-timemachine","category-ajia-review","tag-8","tag-5","tag-29","tag-6","tag-26"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/\u5c0f\u718a\u8428\u59c6\u4e09\u518c.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=907"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":909,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907\/revisions\/909"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/908"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}