Cute story, I'm mostly in it for the illustrations. I love the depth. ( )

Born the middle child in a family of bears, our ursine hero in this sweetly affirmative picture-book leads quite a middling life. Everything he owns or does is midway between the things owned and done by his elder and younger brother. At times, he quite despairs at being the middle bear. But when his parents fall ill, and only he can fetch the willow bark they need, he realizes that being in the middle isn't so bad...

Originally published in Spain as Mediano, and translated into English by the Toronto-based Kids Can Press, Middle Bear offers an engaging picture-book exploration of the challenges of being a middle child. The quest narrative at the end reads a bit like a classic fairy-tale, with the three brothers setting out, but is Susanna Isern's story it is the middle brother, rather than the more traditional youngest, who succeeds. The text itself is quite repetitive, with its frequent use of the word "middle," something I could see being either entertaining or irritating, depending upon the reader. The artwork, done by Canadian illustrator Manon Gauthier in collage, pencil and mixed media, utilizes a muted palette, with the occasional colorful flourish. Recommended chiefly to young middle children, and to those looking for stories for and about them. ( )

A really sweet book about a middle bear. He is not big, he is not little, he is just middle sized and does not feel special at all. When mother and father need help, it is middle bear who is able to complete the task needed. This is a great book for children who are the middle child and are trying to find their niche. It is also a good book to discuss with the older and younger child so they can empathize with the middle sibling. The illustrations are quite interesting. They look like children had created them which would certainly appeal to children. They were cut paper, crayon, chalk, coloured pencil and more. Quite an interesting addition to this story. I would definitely recommend it to families where the middle child is feeling a little left out. A great book for family and school libraries. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. ( )

Middle bear is an encouraging story to read to students dealing with "middle-child syndrome." This book tells a story of Middle Bear who feels good-for-nothing because he is not little nor big, weak nor strong, fast nor slow. He learns that despite all of these things, he is good for some things that his siblings are not, and he gains confidence. ( )