Author: Baffled Bear Books

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.

“A sweet, thoughtful, and uplifting read that left me with a smile”

Review by Shravya on GoodReads: “At first, the adorable teddy bears and bright illustrations make it feel like a simple, comforting picture book, but there is so much more beneath the surface. It explores loneliness, insecurity, friendship, and the importance of having people around us in a way that feels warm and sincere.”

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 decides to take action, but his good idea goes wrong. Will the bears come together at last?

Shravya concludes this review, on Goodreads and Instagram, with: “No Bear Is An Island is a sweet, thoughtful, and uplifting read that left me with a genuine smile. It carries an important message without ever feeling heavy or preachy, making it an especially lovely story to share with children or simply enjoy as an adult.o 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.

Where to find No Bear Is An Island

 ‘No Bear Is An Island’  is published by Baffled Bear Books through Ingram Spark, where it is available in print and digital. It is on Bookshop Org (supporting Indie bookshops), on Apple Books, at Amazon in print and kindle (free on Kindle Unlimited) Walmart,  Kobo, Ex Libris , Bol in France, Ad Libris, Kyngos, Browns Books UK, Lehmanns, Booktopia, and all over the place.

No Bear Is An Island
Bear, Mawson and O'Dwyer, Mark

‘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 Do Your Bears Want To Get You for Christmas? More Books, of course

Mawson’s Guardian Says: Fortunately, we happen to know about books that are entirely suitable for your bears. They are suitable too for everyone you know who loves them. Oh yes, our Mawson the Writer-bear’s little books are just the thing to get your paws on.

As everyone knows, bears read books. They’re not just sitting idly on your bookshelves -they are reading. But when they aren’t looking you can take out the books and read them yourself!

Plonk Down Your Paw: Just click on this blue stuff right here to find them. Collect them all for your bears, for your plushie loving friends, or … Just for yourself. Carry them about and dip into on dreary days.

Where else to find them

Please look and follow on Mawson Bear’s writer-bear Page at Amazon. His books are also at BookShop Org, Barnes and Noble, Target, Indigo (as a Kobo ebook), and AbeBooks. There are also many more.

KINDLE TOO: Mawson’s books, It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In and She Ran Away From Love , and No Bear Is An Island are FREE on Kindle Unlimited on most Amazon regions. Or buy the Kindles for only around $US 3. All the books are in soft cover copies that you can keep and turn to whenever you feel a bit too baffled, a bit too ruffled, and just want a cosy world to sink into.

Happy Christmas reading for you and all your bears and friends.

You are at Baffled Bear Books, brought to you by Mark, who is Guardian and blundering typist for Mawson Bear, one of this bright world’s few published bears. Mawson is the writer bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In and of She Ran Away From Love and of Dreamy Days and Random Naps and of No Bear Is An Island.

Stardust, Moonlight, Witches

When you hear the word ‘Magic’, what fills your mind? Stardust. Moonlight. Fairy god witches?

When you read the word, ‘Love’, what then sweeps your memories? Home, Family, Children, one’s first romance? Come, read this book, and let these things fill you.

The first time I read Love and Homegrown Magic it looked straight forward .. for a while. Here is the tale of a girl, Maggie, who grows to womanhood, falls in love, marries, and in time becomes the matriarch of an extended family. And the children grow and find love and marry, hard things sometimes happen, and love sometimes fades, and people die. But always dreams are nurtured.

Read more by clicking on the link above.

You are at Baffled Bear Books, brought to you by Mark, who is Guardian and blundering typist for Mawson Bear, one of this bright world’s few published bears. Mawson is the writer bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In and of She Ran Away From Love and of Dreamy Days and Random Naps and of No Bear Is An Island.

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.

Only Freaks Turn Things Into Bones, by Steff Green and Bree Roldan: Bullying is never ok

From the book’s cover: It’s little Grim’s first day at his new school. But the other kids .. call him ‘freak’ and refuse to play with him.

A parent drops his kid off at school. Ok, he’s the Grim Reaper, but what of that detail? Just another parent doing a drop off, really, whatever that parent’s job might be. His son, Little Grim, like every new kid, worries if anyone will like him.

‘Little Grim gripped his lunchbox tight. He tried to steady his shaking knees.’

Stef Green and Bree Roldan, Only Freaks turn things into Bones

To his distress, he is seen as ‘different’ from the start. And he does something normal, so normal that most of us have done it at some time: he runs away.

But what if other people, lots of people in fact, are seen as ‘different’ too?

Beautifully presented in hardcover and with full page glorious coloured illustrations, this story lucidly tells how ..

.. Bullying is never ok. And you are not alone.

At is KidsHelpLine you can see a website for young people about dealing with bullying. .

Where to find it this book: From Amazon and also Waterstones and Barnes and Noble. Or, ask your friendly local bookstore to order it in for you, and for any friend who might appreciate this little gothic tale.

Mark is guardian and blundering typist for Mawson, one of this bright world’s few published bears.

Mawson, Writer-Bear of ‘No Bear Is An Island’, sits on his cushion and ponders deep ponders

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.

Where to find No Bear Is An Island

 ‘No Bear Is An Island’  is published by Baffled Bear Books through Ingram Spark, where it is available in print and digital. It is on Bookshop Org (supporting Indie bookshops), on Apple Books, at Amazon in print and kindle (free on Kindle Unlimited) Walmart,  Kobo, Ex Libris , Bol in France, Ad Libris, Kyngos, Browns Books UK, Lehmanns, Booktopia, and all over the place.

No Bear Is An Island
Bear, Mawson and O'Dwyer, Mark

‘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.

Book Review: When a Brave Bear Fights Cancer by Carola Schmidt, A little book tackling a big, serious subject


“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.

Me Scotland The Brave sitting with Dr Caddy and Nurse Bree. I am holding my own Little Teddy.

About the Book:. And now a word about When A Brave Bear Fights Cancer. Carola Schmidt is an award-winning author of children’s cancer books, and uses her experience as a pediatric oncology pharmacist to write scientific books for Springer Nature. You can usually find her on X @_CarolaSchmidt. And you can find Scotty and his friends and Me, Mark, right here on this WordPress Den and at Baffled Bear Books.

More Links: Amazon UK and Amazon Australia and Brazil and  Canada and India and Japan and Mexico and Sweden and Amazon all over the place. Also: Barnes and Noble and more soon.

You are at Baffled Bear Books, brought to you by Mark, who is Guardian and blundering typist for Mawson Bear, one of this bright world’s few published bears. Mawson is the writer bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In and of She Ran Away From Love and of Dreamy Days and Random Naps and of No Bear Is An Island.

‘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.

Going Postal about Book Postage?

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.

Teddy bear Scotty wearing a postal worker hat tries to post a large book into a small post box
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 possibly She Ran Away From Love, by Mawson, you pay for neither the book nor postage.

Frilly, a small beanie baby teddy in a frilly romper suit sits down on a pink cushion
Cover of the book She Ran Away From Love by Mawson

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).

Images of people taking Mawson's book No Bear Is An Island from bookshelves

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.

Mawson Bear getting ready to post a copy of his book, Its A Bright World to Feel Lost In

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.

Have a practice with getting your paws on, say, No Bear Is An Island, , Dreamy Days and Random Naps or It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In without high postage costs. . For instance, try:
 Amazon everywhere, AbeBooks, Ad Libris,   Booklubben, Bookshop.org (Recommenced by me because it supports bookshops), Desert Cart (several regions), Fa Saxo (Denmark), Linnaeus Boekhandel, Loot (South Africa),  McNally Jackson (New York), Mighty Ape (New Zealand), Rahva Rahmat (Estonia, yes, Estonia – this bear gets around), Walmart (USA), Google Books, and more.
Hopefully, at one of these you will beat the postage monsters. Otherwise, back to the library! Our publisher is Shooting Star Press.

Your host, Mark, is Mawson Bear’s Guardian, photographer, editor, blundering typist, chocolates fetcher and cushions re-arranger. Baffled Bear Books ABN: 4787910119.

Beautiful and timely message of ‘No Bear Is an Island’: Review by Joey Madia, author and screenwriter

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 Island on Youtube. Enjoy!

Please read the thoughts of Joey Madia at his most interesting blog site called New Mystics Reviews. He is also on Facebook and Youtube.

Where to find No Bear Is An Island

No Bear Is An Island
Bear, Mawson and O'Dwyer, Mark

 ‘No Bear Is An Island’  is published by Baffled Bear Books through Ingram Spark, where it is available in print and digital. It is on Bookshop Org (supporting Indie bookshops), on Apple Books, at Amazon in print and kindle (free on Kindle Unlimited) Walmart,  Kobo, Ex Libris , Bol in France, Ad Libris, Kyngos, Browns Books UK, Lehmanns, Booktopia, and all over the place.

‘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.

The Island of dread Pirate Rake, a star of ‘No Bear Is An Island’, by Mawson

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.

Where to find No Bear Is An Island

 ‘No Bear Is An Island’  is published by Baffled Bear Books through Ingram Spark, where it is available in print and digital. It is on Bookshop Org (supporting Indie bookshops), on Apple Books, at Amazon in print and kindle (free on Kindle Unlimited) Walmart,  Kobo, Ex Libris , Bol in France, Ad Libris, Kyngos, Browns Books UK, Lehmanns, Booktopia, and all over the place.

‘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.

Little Books With Lots of Heart, by Mawson: One of this bright world’s few published Writer-Bears

Books by Mawson the Writer-Bear

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?

Mawson and friends look at his little books

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 writes little books that are not full of the answers to life. Or perhaps they are

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.

In his book, It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In , Mawson attempts to put into words that mysterious feeling of Feeling Lost.

“It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In” is a book about optimism, searching for new adventures and making the most of life and love’. Review on GoodReads by Debbie Young, author of the Sophie Sayer Mysteries.

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.

At Amazon in soft cover and Kindle and free to read too on Kindle Unlimited. At Bookshop Org (supporting local bookshops.)

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.