A Kiss for Little Bear

A Kiss For Little Bear
Minarik/Sendak
1968

I could talk all day about the awesomeness that is Maurice Sendak. (you all should know by now that Iam a self proclaimed "Sendak Junkie") Anything, and I mean ANYTHING, illustrated and/or written by Sendak must be mine at any cost! Well, almost any cost. I am a modest person afterall. Although I can't remember where I picked up this particular copy of A Kiss For Little Bear, I can recall the first time I read it.

I read it while on a thrifting excursion with my grand-dad. I was instructed to pick out 1 toy, as was custom on our weekly trips, and I plucked this book from the shelf. I read it a few times while in the store and I was smitten. I got up to the counter and my grand-dad looked at the book and with a puzzled expression asked me if thats really what I wanted. An emphatic yes slipped my tongue.

It was only mine for a very short while. My grandmother ended up taking it away because of the "kissing" parts. Apparently, the entire book is about two skunks who fall in love because of a kiss that was sent from Little Bear's Grandmother, to Little Bear via a very stern and all but unwilling Hen, sending all the animals in the forest into a kissing frenzy. After the kiss gets to where it was meant to go in the first place the skunks decide they would like to get married and everyone lives happily ever after! The End.

Its all very innocent I assure you but for whatever reason this book was banned from our book shelves. Now, once again, I am the very proud owner of this book and I can assure you I will be sharing it with my daughter without any shame!

"This picture makes me happy," said Little Bear.
"Hello Hen, this picture is for grandmother. Will you take it to her?"

Grandmother was happy. "This kiss is for Little Bear. Will you take it to him Hen?"
The Hen obliged.... until

He saw some friends and stopped to chat.
Hello, Frog. I have a kiss for Little Bear. It is from his grandmother. will you take it to him?"
Frog obliged.... until he came upon a pond and stopped to swim.
The kiss was than transferred to Cat who in turn transferred it to skunk.

Skunk was glad to accept the kiss for Little Bear but then he saw another skunk.
She was a very pretty skunk and so he gave the kiss to her.
And she gave it back.
And he gave it back.
And then Hen came along.
"Too much kissing," said Hen.
Hen took it back from Skunk and ran to Little Bear, and gave him the kiss.

The skunks decided to get married.

They had a lovely wedding.

Everyone came.
And Little Bear was the best man.

(much to the Chagrin of Mr. Skunk)
The End.

What a lovely story! Little Bear single handedly brought the entire forest together! Just goes to show how one single good deed can manifest into something bigger than what you intitially intended.

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