about the book
Geez, Am I really that bad? I mean, it was an accident. I was sleeping in my den and rolled over. I didn’t mean to break the little girl’s kite. But did she have to call me that name?
“Horrible Bear!” the little girl shouted. Horrible bear. And she kept shouting it all the way home.
I feel terrible. And I’m kind of mad at her too. How can she call me that name when it was an accident? If she believes I’m so horrible then maybe, I’ll show her how horrible I can be!
I’ll walk right down this hill to her house and give her a piece of my mind…
about the author
If you are looking for author Ame Dyckman in a crowd, you won’t have trouble picking her out. Ame is the one with the pixie-cut mint green hair and a voice bigger than most, the one who starts a lot of sentences with “HEY, EVERYBODY!” Most of what she says is hilarious.
Ame writes picture books for children and books for those who have had a really tough day and need a giggle. She also enjoys hoola-hooping and randomly putting coins in people’s elapsed parking meters. She lives in New Jersey with her family and their menagerie of pets, which includes a demanding squirrel named Willie.
Ame has always been a big reader. While in fourth grade, she read the entire series, CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, in one marathon weekend. Her favorite authors in childhood are still her favorites today—Sendak, Dahl, Blume, and Cleary!
Ame says the hardest part of writing happens around 3:00 a.m. when she has a “THIS ISN’T ANY GOOD!” moment. Then she screams a lot at her computer. Writing has also taught her patience—and to not chew on her pencils. She accidentally ate her eraser once, and the aftercare was not covered by her health insurance!
Her favorite moment as a writer? When two kids recognized her in a book store and walked up to her robot style, peeping “Affirmative, Affirmative!” The whole store ended up roaring in laughter. “It doesn’t get better than that,” she says.
Sources:
Author website
Author interview : Mr. Schu Reads
Author interview : Henry Herz
Book trailer: Horrible Bear
Also by Ame Dyckman:
You Don’t Want a Unicorn! Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. April 2017.
Wolfie the Bunny. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2015.
Tea Party Rules. Viking Juvenile. 2013.
Boy and Bot. Knopf Books for Young Readers. 2012.
about the illustrator
Zachariah OHora grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire. For first, second, and third grade, he wore the same plaid shirt on picture day. The only way to tell what grade the picture was taken is by which teeth are missing.
The first time that Zachariah knew he wanted to be an artist was in third grade. A substitute art teacher—who had lots of silver bracelets, rings, and mysterious dark hair—picked up his drawing and made a big deal about it. Zachariah had to figure out how to become an artist after that.
He hates the sound of leaf blowers.
Zachariah lives in Narberth, Pennsylvania, with his wife and sons.
Sources:
Illustrator biography: Penguin
Illustrator interview: Miss Print
Illustrator interview: The Little Crooked Cottage
Illustrator interview: Brightly
Illustrator interview: Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Also by Zachariah OHora:
If Your Monster Won’t Go to Bed by Denise Vega. Knopf Books for Young Readers. March 2017.
The Not So Quiet Library. Dial. 2016.
Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2015.
My Cousin Momo. Dial. 2015.
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks! by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen. Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2014.
No Fits, Nilson! Dial. 2013.
The Pet Project : Cute and Cuddly Vicious Verses by Lisa Wheeler. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 2013.
Stop Snoring, Bernard! Henry Holt & Company (BYR). 2011.
read more!
Dog Vs. Cat by Chris Gall
After Mr. Buttons adopts a friendly dog at the animal shelter, he discovers that Mrs. Buttons has also been there, looking for a smart-looking cat! The two odd animals have to share the same space. Dog messily occupies one corner, while tidy cat organizes her area with military precision. At first they get along, but tension quickly arises as they pull pranks on each other. Something drastic must be done to solve the situation, especially with the litter box.
Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur : A First Book of Manners by Judy Sierra
Although the adults are upset that a giant T-Rex is in the grocery store, a little girl isn’t bothered at all. But how does she react when the dino knocks over a pile of apples or bellows when bumped by a cart? Perfectly politely, of course!
Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman
Dot and her family are bunnies. Her parents are thrilled to adopt a little wolf baby, but Dot is afraid Wolfie will end up eating the whole family! Then during a carrot shopping trip, little Wolfie is almost eaten by a bear, and Dot saves him. It makes her realizes that Wolfie is part of their family… and he isn’t going to eat any of them. In fact, he might be a vegetarian.