A persistent rat wants one of Big Brown Bear’s slippers—it’s the perfect size for a rat bed. “You have two of them,” Rat points out when Bear refuses to part with one. “I have two feet, too,” Bear replies. Rat is full of crazy ideas for getting the slipper from Bear, but Bear can’t be so easily fooled. Bear isn’t unkind, just practical. So when an opportunity presents itself to give Rat what he wants most, Bear willingly complies. A story that might easily have erred on the side of sweetness maintains a perfect edge with Bear’s occasional prickliness and Rat’s questionable charm. (Ages 3–6)

Bear is big and bear is brown and bear lives all alone. But then one day someone comes along who gives him a few tips about the ups and downs of having a friend.
With warmth and a gentle wit, David McPhail brings together two unlikely chums (along with some oatmeal, a windup car, and two very comfy slippers).