I am Mark, Guardian of Mawson Bear. Mawson is a big hearted Writer-Bear. . Relax with Mawson's friends in their cosy, whimsical world. Refresh the soul in the tranquility of innocent hours and simple joys.
Mawson Bear is one of this bright world’s few published Writer-Bears. And it isn’t easy, when you are a bear, to be a writer. When your big paws hit four keys on the keyboard at a go a terrible muddle can result. Therefore, Mawson leaves the editing and typing to The Guardian while he himself gets comfortable on his cushion and ponders deeply about Baffling Things.
In Mawson Bear’s new book, No Bear Is An Island, each of his fellow bears sits all alone. They don’t talk to each other, they don’t share their thoughts. Mawson himself is sitting all by himself on his cushion. It’s as if each of them is drifting along on an island of their own, apart from all the others.
Mawson is worried about them. He wonders if there is a way to bring them all together. Perhaps he could shine a light to attract them. He could be like a lighthouse for his friends. Unfortunately, when Mawson puts his good idea into practice things go very wrong.
YOUTUBE: You can watch Videos on Youtube all about No Bear Is An Island. Just click here to see reading by writer and playwright Joey Madia. And also click here.
‘Mawson is a precious teddy who should be a staple read on every little one’s bookshelf. He certainly has a home on ours. I know he certainly inspired my own inner child.’ Lyndie, Bookaholic reviews.
You are at Mark’s blog called Baffled Bear Books. Mark is a dark coffee tragic, bibliophile and Guardian of Mawson Bear. Mawson is a Ponderer of Baffling Things and one of this bright world’s few published bears.
“I loved this book for many reasons. It tackles a subject that is very difficult to explain to children in an extremely sensitive way, with beautiful pictures. It’s bright and colourful photographs are the perfect illustrations. I’m a big fan of Mawson Bear books. The use of photos is so unique!’Mrs Wylie
‘As a cancer patient myself, I’ve thought a lot about what it must be like for children . It’s such a scary thing, but this book will definitely help calm some of those fears with it’s clear explanations. I would love to see copies of this book in every hospital that treats children with cancer.’
What a lovely review. Thank you so much to Mrs Wylie of Book Addict. You can find her at @bookaddict.twlie68 on Bearagram (Instagram).
And now a word from Me, Mawson’s Guardian. I and all the bears in our house helped to make the pictures in this book You can see Brave Scotty, Little Teddy, Big Gus in the laboratory, and Stitches and Paddy who are patients too in the ward. Here is a picture of Scotty with Little Teddy and Dr Caddy and Nurse Bree.
‘This little story made me well up. A lovely, poignant story with delightful illustrations.’ Jackie Law, Amazon Top 500 reviewer, about It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost in.
The book brings back such nostalgic memories that it made it comforting, like a old security blanket.’ FNM Book reviews about Bright World.
The Problem: You look for a book on a retail website. No Bear Is A Island by Mawson Bear looks like an excellent choice. You send your order to the “Shopping Cart”. But what’s this? A delivery charge rises up on your screen like monster rising out of a swamp. And the size of the thing!
‘Bother!’ You say. (You might say other words entirely and at some length, but this is a bear-friendly web-den.) You Consider changing your mind about buying that book in print because the delivery cost has trampled over all your hopes. Is there another way? Why, yes. Read on.
Our Post Bear, Scottie, goes postal over particular postage problems of his own
BOOK SHOPS. Visit your friendly local book shop. The book you want, quite possibly Dreamy Days and Random Naps, by Mawson, might be in stock, and you can buy lots of copies too as random gifts of kindness for your friends. But if not, the staff can order it in for you. This is good for everyone: you get your book and the book shop people stay in business.
LIBRARIES. Visit your local library (where the staff are friendly because they are always surrounded by books). When you borrow a book, very possiblyShe Ran Away From Love, by Mawson, you pay for neither the book nor postage.
In Australia, the author gets a fee for each borrowing (a very small fee, but still a fee). If book is not there, you can ask the staff to consider adding it to their stock. That is good for you, the library, the publisher and the author. You can also just enjoy being at your library and play games there and do jigsaws and read magazines and relax.
Relaxing at the library
SHOP AROUND. Shop around with OTHER on-line retailers! Don’t stick with, for instance, ‘A-Far-Too-Powerful-Retailer-Named-After-A-River’ . There are other retailers, such as Bookshop.org (Recommended by me because it supports bookshops).
SPEND MORE. Send three or four books of the books you want to the ‘Shopping Cart’ then wait. Sometimes the retailer will advise you of markdowns on them. This is when you pounce because you might also get a waiver on the postage costs. Advantage: you save on postage. Disadvantage: You have to spend more money than you meant to. And when the books arrive, the To-Be-Read-Pile of books in your room gets so high that it topples over and buries you under hundreds of stories and your family doesn’t find your body for days because they just assumed you were reading your way through them all.
EBOOKS.Go digital. Sadly, this means you will miss out on the pleasures of holding the book itself: enjoying its particular weight and texture, slipping your battered old book marks between the pages, shelving it in your favourite way (by colour, by height, by author, by subject), ostentatiously opening it up to read on the public transport, lending it to a good friend, seriously wondering about the ‘goodness’ of that friend when the book is not returned … But I digress. The thing is, there are no postage costs with them.
Your Challenge: Beat the postage monsters. You can do this, really you can.
In a polarizing world, where Othering has divided and not united, where difference is a liability instead of a strength in the eyes of (far too) many (especially those in power), it’s important to teach our children (while being role models) that everyone has a unique (hi)story, set of interests and goals, hopes and dreams, and they are all of equal value. Such recognition of the worth of diversity in our social circles is a pathway to seeing we can learn from others while learning about ourselves when we step out of our comfort zone and engage with those who are different than we are.
So begins the thoughtful review by Joey Madia of Mawson Bear’s new book,No Bear Is An Island. Joey references the mighty words of John Donne in Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, 1624. ” No man is an island, entire of itself/Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” It would seem that somehow Mawson found this on the bookshelves when no-one was looking and pondered deeply upon it.
His own friends all seemed to be sitting among their concerns and interests and worries, as if each was on their own island, apart from the others. “What If”. wondered Mawson, there were some way to bring them together.
“Mawson, sensing the distant voices of his fellows (each with a whispered If only…), wants to rise to the occasion to assist and support them. What ensues is a lesson all of us need to hear—and act upon. To read and learn and think about by ourselves, and together, and by ourselves again.” Joey Madia.
Youtube: Here is the link to Joey Madia reading No Bear Is An Islandon Youtube. Enjoy!
‘Mawson is a precious teddy who should be a staple read on every little one’s bookshelf. He certainly has a home on ours. I know he certainly inspired my own inner child.’ Lyndie, Bookaholic reviews.
You are at Mark’s blog called Baffled Bear Books. Mark is a dark coffee tragic, bibliophile and Guardian of Mawson Bear. Mawson is a Ponderer of Baffling Things and one of this bright world’s few published bears.
Pirate Rake is one of the stars of ‘No Bear Is An Island’ by Mawson the Writer-Bear. Rake is a ferocious pirate, as you can tell from his eye patch and his hat.
In Mawson Bear’s new book,No Bear Is An Island, each bear sits all alone. They don’t talk to each other, they don’t share their thoughts. Its as if each are drifting on an island of their own, apart from all the others.
Being a pirate, Rakes’ thoughts are consumed by treasure. He has indeed found the fabled treasure but has run into a bit of bother. You see, he’s been shipwrecked while doing so. So what is the now-wealthy pirate to do when all alone on an island?
YOUTUBE: You can watch Videos on Youtube all about No Bear Is An Island. Just click here and here.
‘Mawson is a precious teddy who should be a staple read on every little one’s bookshelf. He certainly has a home on ours. I know he certainly inspired my own inner child.’ Lyndie, Bookaholic reviews.
You are at Mark’s blog called Baffled Bear Books. Mark is a dark coffee tragic, bibliophile and Guardian of Mawson Bear. Mawson is a Ponderer of Baffling Things and one of this bright world’s few published bears.
Do you sometimes feel a bit muddled about, well, Things ?
Sometimes rather ruffled when Things just go and, well, Happen ?
Sometimes feel confused one moment and completely baffled the next?
It’s not easy being Grownup. All this business of having to be sophisticated and industrious. It’s just too much. But here you can flop down among the cushions and relax.
Here you can find the answers to just about nothing at all. You can forget you ever had questions anyway.
Mawson and his friends are befuddled about most things most of the time – just like so many of us. And that’s all right.
No Bear Is An Island is all about feeling alone and apart when in reality there are friends to be found all around.
She Ran Away From Love,is all about his friend Frilly feeling hopelessly baffled by Big Questions.
‘A brilliant children’s picture book that does well to pick you up from a bad day. Writing about love, dreams, happiness, and finding your own identity is all found within this short happy book.‘ Review on Amazon UK.
Ready comparisons can be made to the giants of literary beardom, such as Paddington and Winnie the Pooh. Joey Madia.
Dreamy Days and Random Naps looks at the joys of naps, sleeps, snacks, hopes and dreams. Perfect as a random gift of kindness for your tired friend who just wants to flop into a nap.
Mawson is a precious teddy who should be a staple read on every little one’s bookshelf. He certainly has a home on ours. I know he certainly inspired my own inner child. Lyndie, Bookaholic reviews.
Where to find these Little Books With Lots of Heart.
You are at Mark’s blog called Baffled Bear Books. Mark is a dark coffee tragic, bibliophile and Guardian of Mawson Bear. Mawson is a Ponderer of Baffling Things and one of this bright world’s few published bears.
Bleary is one of the stars of ‘No Bear Is An Island’ by Mawson the Writer-Bear. Bleary is an expert at the favourite pastime of all bears – napping. He’s either asleep, awaking from a sleep, or sinking into another sleep. Bleary is particularly fond of his blankets and his dressing gown.
In Mawson Bear’s new book,No Bear Is An Island, each bear sits all alone. They don’t talk to each other, they don’t share their thoughts.
It’s as if they are each sitting on their own island, apart from the others. Bleary simply naps on his island. But why balloons, you might wonder. Ah, well, the answer to that is all in the book.
YOUTUBE: You can watch Videos on Youtube all about No Bear Is An Island. Just click here and here.
‘Mawson is a precious teddy who should be a staple read on every little one’s bookshelf. He certainly has a home on ours. I know he certainly inspired my own inner child.’ Lyndie, Bookaholic reviews.
You are at Mark’s blog called Baffled Bear Books. Mark is a dark coffee tragic, bibliophile and Guardian of Mawson Bear. Mawson is a Ponderer of Baffling Things and one of this bright world’s few published bears.
‘What’ is two plus two?’ With this thorny question, which our hero cannot answer, begins the epic space quest that will end all quests – especially if our hero (who doesn’t know who the heck he is) gets it wrong.
I got so caught up in this book that I missed my train stop twice. For me, this was a strange achievement for a novel packed with science. And what exciting science it is. Both the story and the science move faster than a detective thriller. Our hero must detect through rapid experiments and improvisations, not made any easier by being in the wrong gravity, how to survive. Next, there is the question of fulfilling his mission, if only he could remember what it was. And who he is.
This novel covers several themes: the story of trying to remember oneself after losing memory. The story of trying to work out just where that not-quite-remembered person actually is, and how that happened. And the reverse take on climate change.
In this story, the earth is going to cool down fast, too fast. I am going to quote a bit. I’m sure the author won’t mind -perhaps its even part of the reason he wrote the novel, for all I know. That and a love of science.
‘Nineteen years. That’s my estimate for when half the people now alive will be dead. .. The math of famine is easy. Take all the calories the world creates with farming and agriculture per day and divide by about 1500. The human population cannot be greater than the number .. The major crops are sensitive to temperature changes. Dr Leclerc, Ch. 14.
Dr Leclerc goes on in grim detail about how the messed up climate will mess up food production. The mission boss, Ms Statt, adds how once agriculture is disrupted, hungry populations go to war against one another for the remainder, causing further disruption to food production and thus intensifying the famines. So there it is: whether our climate cools down too fast, as in this fictional scenario, or warms up two or three degrees, as in our actual terrifying reality, bad things happen.
By now, everyone knows that it is also easily the best story ever written about meeting and communicating with an alien species.
This is not just Science Fiction; it is SCIENCE fiction. By the way, it turns out that high school science teachers rock. Just as well. It’s looking like only young scientists can save us.
I will leave you will a list of Very Important Scientific Equipment: String. Tape measure. Stop watch. Pen. Something to write on (or use your arm or a wall. Optional extras include sticky tape and popsicle sticks. Never get stuck in space without these essential items! Do you want to know why? Well, now you have to read the book, don’t you!
That movie? Movies are a visual medium and the maths and science and the careful working out of how to communicate with Rocky are over simplified. But that cannot be helped. In my view, the movie is a very good take on the story and uses visual elements brilliantly, not to mention the dead pan humorous body language of the star. An excellent movie based on a very good book.
You might also enjoy my revisit, after 50 years! to The Foundation Seriesby Issac Asimov.
Where to find the Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir – who also wrote The Martian– which got turned into a movie with Matt Damon. Find it at Book Shop Org (supporting local bookshops) or at Waterstones. Or visit the sci-fi section of your revered local bookshop. The SCIENCE-fiction section, that is.
You are at Mark’s blog called Baffled Bear Books. Mark is a dark coffee tragic and bibliophile as well as the Guardian and blundering typist for Mawson Bear, Ponderer of Baffling Things and one of this bright world’s few published bears.
Cancer Daily Life is a bittersweet collection of illustrations that readers highly involved in the C world can relate to, including friends and family of people with cancer.’ From back cover.
This short, colourful picture book finds the odd things, the weird things, and even the ironic things can bring a guarded smile, during cancer treatment. It’s a little something you could give a friend who is going through cancer, especially when you are lost for words to say to them yourself. (This certainly describes me.)
There are ironic reflections on the long days of feeling sick and lonely and terrible. There are little glimpses of the fears to be tackled and the fantasies conjured up during the hard hours of treatment. Recommended as a little splash of colour in the daily life of the “C” world.
Rafael Antonio is an illustrator for games, books and comics.
Mark, your host at Baffled Bear Books, is guardian of writer-Bear Mawson. Of Mawson’s book It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In ” was said, “Reading this book is like receiving a great big hug of reassurance and a huge hot chocolatewith fluffy marshmallows.” Review by Lady Bracknell. Of Mawson’s She Ran Away From Love was said, “‘A magical little grand tour into the meaning of happiness.’ Sharrie Williams, Author of The Maybelline Story.
‘This gentle little book snuck up on me. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was glad I dove in.’ (Reviewer B. Sneedy)
A teddy on the cover, yes, but this is mostly a book for grownups
‘She Ran Away from Love is an adventure on more than one level. It’s the physical journey of a small, frightened bear who finds Love just a bit too bright for comfort, but it is also an inner journey in which the little bear finds herself.’
‘I suspect this book will touch different readers in different ways. I smiled through the entire book.’ Review by Bernice Sneedy at Amazon AU. ‘
Thank you Bernice Sneedy for this kind review of Frilly’s quest to find herself.*
Mawson’s Guardian adds: And LOOK! Its only $3 or do on Kindle everywhere.
Go on, get snuck up on to, yourself!
Where to find She Ran Away From Love by Mawson, one of this world’s few published Writer-Bears:
*Oooh, that reminds me of another Bernice, a really cool young detective. Why not plunge into my review of Bernice Takes A Plunge while you are here.
Your host, Mark, is Mawson Bear’s Guardian, photographer, editor, blundering typist, chocolates fetcher and cushions re-arranger.Baffled Bear Books ABN: 4787910119.
