Even though "two fine, proper gentleman" give him a hard time, bear paints an awesome picture. The best part is looking at the picture upside down after it's finished. SPOILER: It looks like THE BEAR! ( )

What a delightful story! Bear wants to paint a picture, and so he does! Using colors that speak to him, and using his intuition and inner feelings, he adds another color to the colors expressing what he sees as the picture develops into a lovely collage of beauty.

Along came two "proper" gentlemen in suits and top hats. Offering their unsolicited negative opinions, they rudely interjected nasty comments. First, they aadamantly state that a bear cannot paint a picture. Whereupon the self motivated bear asks "Why can't a bear do anything he likes?"

Another judgement is thrown at the bear when he is told that "Bears aren't the sort of fellows who can do whatever they like Continuing their snobby judgement, they ask just what the bear's paining is supposed to be. Confident in voice and manner, the bear pays no mind and tells the pretentious proper gentlemen that he can tell what his work of art signifies.

With much confidence, the bear tells them what his colors represent, whereupon the proper gentleman disagree and tell him what his picture represents.

Continuing to paint, the bear let's the proper gentlemen know that his paining does not need to match what they think is represented. It is after all, HIS paining.

The book ends in a creative, gotta ya manner. I loved the story of those who know it all and those who stand firm against the criticism and derision.

This is a book that hopefully encourages children to be themselves and to ignore the critics and negative people in the world. Bears can, and do paint their own kind of picture, and sing their own special song.

I enjoyed this lovely book and the surprise ending. ( )

This book is possibly one of my new favorite children book. I loved the whole story, and the message that it had. A bear was just sitting painting a picture and two gentle men pass by and tell him how bears CAN'T paint pictures, when the bears asks why, the gentlemen simply respond "it is not what bears do." Despite the criticisms that this bear is receiving from the gentlemen he continues to paint his picture. When he was done painting the picture, the bear was satisfied. The moral behind this story I felt was a very strong one. People should do what makes them happy, and not let others tell them what they are and are not capable of doing. ( )

And this is exactly how we should look at art - no more, no less! ( )

I like Daniel Pinkwater for his sense of humor most of the time. I liked this book for laying out an explanation for art appreciation so eloquently. It was really nicely done. The illustrations were okay, but the text was won me over ( )