What do you think?
Rate this book
Bearplane!
Buckle up for a little bear's first flight in this adorable, light-as-air picture book by New York Times bestselling author Deborah Underwood and critically acclaimed artist Sam Wedelich.
Follow a bear cub, their grownup, and their beloved stuffie Teddy as they make their way through the busy airport and cub's first plane ride. Their destination? A bear-y special family reunion with grandma! This cheerful, rhyming, reassuring go-to for little ones preparing for their first (or second or tenth) flight is a gentle adventure full of accessible bear puns and delightful touches, plus a detailed map of the bear-port on the endpapers.
Here’s the shuttle—climb inside.
Time for your first bearplane ride!
“The perfect pick for first-time fliers . . . Essential." —Common Sense Media
“Buoyant and properly reassuring." —Booklist
* "Both accessible and fun." � BCCB (starred review)
“Adorable.� � TinyBeans
“Fun for travelers of all ages.� —The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
Follow a bear cub, their grownup, and their beloved stuffie Teddy as they make their way through the busy airport and cub's first plane ride. Their destination? A bear-y special family reunion with grandma! This cheerful, rhyming, reassuring go-to for little ones preparing for their first (or second or tenth) flight is a gentle adventure full of accessible bear puns and delightful touches, plus a detailed map of the bear-port on the endpapers.
Here’s the shuttle—climb inside.
Time for your first bearplane ride!
“The perfect pick for first-time fliers . . . Essential." —Common Sense Media
“Buoyant and properly reassuring." —Booklist
* "Both accessible and fun." � BCCB (starred review)
“Adorable.� � TinyBeans
“Fun for travelers of all ages.� —The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
32 pages, Hardcover
Published May 31, 2022
76 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
May 27, 2022
I only wish air travel was as delightful as gentle, bouncy Bearplane! :)
July 13, 2022
I love all the different bears in this book. Bears in wheelchairs, bears with walkers, bear wearing masks, shaggy bears, panda bears and a grumpy bear. Cookies solve a lot of problems! And then all the bears are there!
August 29, 2022
BEARPLANE! Think : A child’s first airplane book, but add bears and you have BEARPLANE, a vibrant picture book told with Deborah Underwood’s snappy rhyme and Sam Wedelich’s expressive flair. Deborah Underwood is the author of heaps of clever picture books, and Sam Wedelich is a brilliant designer and illustrator. The illustrations in this book are so alive with story they remind me of beloved Richard Scarry Busytown books from childhood. The endpapers! The bright but soothing palette! The delight! I mean, how many books have you read that show an airplane bathroom - but with such lovely lines and color? If you haven't discovered Sam Wedelich yet, you are in for a treat. What talent! To sum up, BEARPLANE is soaring read, and an excellent pick for all the bears and young travelers in your life.
August 26, 2022
BEARPLANE! How fabulous is this book by Deborah Underwood and Sam Wedelich?! Think : A child’s first airplane book, but add bears and you have BEARPLANE, a vibrant picture book told with Deborah Underwood’s snappy rhyme and Sam Wedelich’s expressive flair. Sam Wedelich’s humorous, brilliantly designed illustrations are so alive with story they remind me of beloved Richard Scarry Busytown books from childhood. The endpapers! The bright but soothing palette! The delight! I mean, how many books have you read that show an airplane bathroom - but with such lovely lines and color? If you haven't discovered Sam Wedelich yet, you are in for a treat. What a talent! To sum up, BEARPLANE is a soaring read, and an excellent pick for all the bears and young travelers in your life.
August 12, 2022
What will little bear's first airplane ride be like? Bearplane does a great job of showing all the steps of flying in a plane in a modern airport, with cheery rhymes and super-cute illustrations. From going through security, finding the bathroom on the plane, a grumpy seat neighbor, and air pressure ear popping, everything is covered in an optimistic way. Illustrations have lots of details to see and find. If you can ignore (or giggle at) the occasional absurdity of having mostly naked bears with occasional clothing details (like the bear wearing a hijab and nothing else, or the naked pilot with only epaulettes on her shoulders...), then thoroughly enjoyable.
June 18, 2022
A little bear and his mother get ready to go to the bearport and fly away to a family party. The author takes us through the steps the small bear and his mother must take to get to the bearport, get inside the terminal, wait in line, get a snack, board the plane, sit safely, and fly to their destination. The little bear encounters another passenger that turns out to be important in the end. A cute way to explain the preparation, the steps to get to the airplane, and follow the rules for boarding and riding.
June 22, 2022
Traveling on an airplane this summer with your children? This book is a must-read, especially if your kids have never flown on a plane.
The reader travels through the airport and on the flight with the cub.
And no, your flight might not go as smoothly as this bear family’s (except for that honey mishap!) but reading the book to your children might help them feel more comfortable with the unknown.
And think of all the airport things you can discuss with your kids! Just leave the honey at home!🍯
The illustrations are sweet, and the words are funny. Your kids will laugh out loud!
The reader travels through the airport and on the flight with the cub.
And no, your flight might not go as smoothly as this bear family’s (except for that honey mishap!) but reading the book to your children might help them feel more comfortable with the unknown.
And think of all the airport things you can discuss with your kids! Just leave the honey at home!🍯
The illustrations are sweet, and the words are funny. Your kids will laugh out loud!
July 27, 2022
As a flight attendant (and former preschool teacher), I am always on the lookout for new books that explain air travel to kids! This book has a nice rhythm and beautiful pictures, but what I really love is that it actually goes through all of the steps for traveling by plane. It starts with packing to parking to checking in and going through security, then all the way through the flight and getting your baggage after landing. Definitely a must-read before your little one's first time on an airplane!
October 2, 2022
From the front cover to the end pages, this story is an adorable introduction to flying for young children, or bears! Rhyming text and adorable bear characters heading to a family reunion will warm your heart and offer a chance to answer questions about airports, flying, and traveling by airplane, or bearplane as the case may be.
Underwood never disappoints! Sam Wedelich's illustrations are absolutely adorable throughout. I love the details of how it feels to take off and land and the interactions with the other passenger is delightful.
Underwood never disappoints! Sam Wedelich's illustrations are absolutely adorable throughout. I love the details of how it feels to take off and land and the interactions with the other passenger is delightful.
August 10, 2023
Not as cute as some of Underwood's others, but definitely one I'd recommend for families traveling with little ones. It's a cute little story with lots of very real things that kids will experience as they fly. The rhyme is pretty smooth without being annoyingly sing-songy. And there are fun details in the pictures that I loved (the little bear's face on takeoff!). The biggest reason that I don't think it would work as well for my storytime crowd is that there's so much going on in each picture that it's a bit too busy and too small for an audience. One on one, though, would be a perfect fit.
August 23, 2022
This would be a great story to read to a child who is interested in airplanes or who will be taking their first flight soon. The story goes through the various steps and stages that happen before and during a flight in whimsical rhyming text. Very easy to read aloud. Cute story with cute illustrations!
June 26, 2023
This was the perfect book to read aloud to my grandchildren as they embarked on their flight from Germany to the US! They've already made this trip twice, but I still think it helps to "normalize" the experience. I'll be using one of Papa Bear's tips: bring baked goodies to share with fellow passengers, especially the grumpy ones who don't appreciate the antics of a small, wiggly bear. :)
June 20, 2022
A little bear goes with his mother on his very first plane ride. The reader gets to see - and read in rhyme - the little bear's adventure at the airport and on the flight. Nicely illustrated story told with fun word play.
June 26, 2022
Cute story to introduce young travelers to flying on a plane. The rhyming narrative will hold the interest of the most squirmy child. All the different people that Bear meets on the way keeps it fun.
July 5, 2022
A perfect book for introducing your kids to air travel. From a person currently reading and reviewing this book at the airport. This book does a wonderful job of touching on all of the steps involved with taking a trip on a plane. It’s very realistic and sets great expectations for what a kid will experience through the journey.
November 14, 2022
Adorable illustrations and clever rhymes make this story such a delightful introduction to the process of flying, from preparation for departure through arrival at the final destination. The city names on the Departure sign are a hoot, as are the ursine-related puns.
March 19, 2023
“This is how a great trip ends: with berries, hugs, and brand-new friends.�
A little bear cub and family take a trip through the airport and onto a plane go a surprise location for the little one.
Would be a fun gift for a little one going on a plane trip for the first time.
A little bear cub and family take a trip through the airport and onto a plane go a surprise location for the little one.
Would be a fun gift for a little one going on a plane trip for the first time.
August 4, 2023
It's little Bear Cub's first airplane flight. This rhyming tale takes the reader along in Bear Cub's day as he travels on a plane. Follow along the way as each and every step in told in detail of what happens during this first flight adventure to Bear Cub's final destination.
February 8, 2024
Utterly delightful (and rhyming) account of a little bear's first bearplane trip. What do bears at the bearport do when they're waiting for their bearplane to take off? They eat salmon on a stick, of course.
Want to read
November 18, 2021Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
June 5, 2022
This was really cute! I could see it being an excellent book to read to a child who is about to experience their first flight!
Read
June 12, 2022Too cute! Loved it!
June 20, 2022
Perfect to read before a child's first flight
Read
June 23, 2022A fun rhyming story that explains going on an airplane simply and makes it sound like an adventure.
Read
June 25, 2022I love the expression on the cub's face when the place takes off.
July 9, 2022
Great book to prepare kids for a plane trip! With rhyming text and pleasing illustrations it goes through each step of the adventure.
July 13, 2022
What an absolutely adorable book!
A great story for those little ones who are about to take their first plane trip.
And maybe for those of us who have a fear of flying…✈️�
A great story for those little ones who are about to take their first plane trip.
And maybe for those of us who have a fear of flying…✈️�
July 21, 2022
This was fine. The one standout line was "Sir, you need to check those basses," laughed out loud.
Read
July 27, 2022a serviceable look at airplane travel, though it might paint too rosy of a picture for what is a true hellscape of an experience.
August 21, 2022
An excellent and adorable introduction to the process of flying
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.