Author Archives: Baffled Bear Books

About Baffled Bear Books

I am Mark, Guardian of Mawson Bear. Mawson sits on Bed-Top Hill. Between naps he ponders about Baffling Things. After deep ponders, most things remain for him as completly baffling as they were before. But they do seem friendlier, somehow. If you, too, are baffled by, well, Things, his little books of ponders could be just right for you.

Mawson’s new book, She Ran Away From Love: Would you like to help spread the word?

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Mawson Bear’s Guardian Mark speaks:

As you know our Mawson is a Writer-Bear. She Ran Away From Love, his new book, features a small heroine called Frilly who goes on a Quest. I’m sure lots of grown-ups and children (and their bears) will love Frilly, if only they knew about her.

Frilly She ran Frilly Cover 2015

REVIEWS: When you a quiet sort of writer-bear, it is not easy to be heard out there in the wide world. So as Mawson’s guardian I’m asking for help. The grandest way to help launch a book is to get LOTS of reviews.

Reviews on Amazon and Good Reads have the greatest reach. Reviews on Barnes and Noble (USA), Waterstones (UK), and Chapters Indigo (Canada) are also much appreciated.

If you would like to help to tell the bright world about Frilly, may I send you a free PDF copy of She Ran Away From Love? All I ask is for you to be Valiant Reader.

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Frilly sits shyly on her cushion while Mawson makes notes for her book

Err, just how Valiant precisely, you quite rightly ask?  At this link you can read how Mawson’s friend, Sir Scotland the Brave, boldly smites his keyboard to help writers. Let me know if you would be interested doing the same for She Ran Away From Love .  If you are new to Valiantly Reviewing books, I have plonked below some tips on what is involved. Thank you for considering this request.

Oh and, umm, if by a wonderful chance you have got your paws on Mawson’s first book, It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In, could you also possibly, umm (shuffles nervously) leave a little review for that one too, if you haven’t before?

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PREORDERS. The book is at the printers and is already available for preorders, although at this point only on Amazon dot com and BarnesandNoble.com.  If you, umm , errr (shuffles about, perks up ears hopefully) put in a pre-order for the book, that would be grand. If there is anything that gets a Dread Algorithm racing it is actual sales.

BOON COMPANIONS: And do you count other bold Readers among your boon companions? Share on this very post, so that they too may do these valiant deeds!  We writers (and one writer-bear) will never disavow your selfless mission!

If you are new to the world on on-line book reviews.

About your name: You don’t have to leave your name if you don’t want to. You can be anonymous. You can be ‘JohnWicks007’, or ‘ReadRidingHood1’ for example or anyone you want to be.

Here are links to She Ran Away From Love (more to be added as I find them):  Amazon, Good Reads, Bears Are Noble, sorry, Barnes and Noble, Chapters Indigo. Or, search your preferred book retailer for the title She Ran Away From Love and for ISBN 9781925652543.

You’ve found Frilly. What now? Scroll down past the book’s description and click on ‘Leave A Review’, or ‘Write Your Own Review’.

The Bother part: This takes you to a Customer page where you need to sign in. But if you haven’t before used that retailer you need to register for it. This is a bother, I know.

The Fun part: But then comes the fun: bashing away at the Star Ratings. If you are an excitable sort of person, or if you love the book, just keep on smiting. Smite Thrice!!! Smite Fourfold!!!! And, yea even unto Five times!!!!!   Disappointingly, the Retailers don’t let us smiteth more than five  times, even if you have got into the rhythm of the thing.

Writing more stuff : You will see a big field where you can make remarks. Here, if you wish, you can write a line about the book, or two lines, or several lines. Or even lots of lines. Then click Submit.  Valiantly done! And what happens now?

The power of the reader, yes, that’s you: The Dread Algorithms that decide the fate of writers will record that some one (You) has gone to all the effort of reviewing this book. Golly, they must like it then. This is worthy of note; and note is indeed taken in the deeply mysterious way of Dread Algorithms. The visibility and such like of  Mawson’s book titles (and of any writer you kindly review) gets bumped up a bit. That is how important you are! On behalf of writers and writer-bears everywhere, I thank you.

Having tasted your awesome power, why stop there? You can copy what you have written and go to any other on-line retailer, to as many as you like, depending on how mighty waxeth your Smiting arm that day, and you can paste in the same review. It all adds up. And up. And UP. And it means lots of people will fall in love with our Frilly, just like you.

You have wandered into Mawson Bear’s web-den.  Between naps among cushions, Mawson ponders about Baffling Things. He is the Writer-Bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In and of She Ran Away From Love.

‘The book brings back such nostalagic memories that it made it comforting, like a  old security blanket.’  FNM Book reviews about Bright World.

Someone Brave Has Got To Do It

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Scotland the Brave: Mawson, Mawson.

48 Scottie on Truck Large

Mawson: Oh hello, Scotty. What a nice day. I was just writing down little ponders and things and ..

50 Change everyone Large

Scotland the Brave: I’m not happy, Mawson. Not happy at all. Things aren’t Right.

Mawson: Err Things? Not umm .. Right? But umm ..

51 Some One Brave

Scotland the Brave: So I’m going out there. Right Now. I’m going to Change Things. I’m going to … I’m going to … I have no idea … But I’m going out there. Things are Wrong. Things have to go Right.

Mawson: But .. but .. Change Things? That sounds, well, big. And Scotty, there’s just you, a small brown bear in trews. With an old truck. I .. errr .. ummm .. I’m not sure ..

52 Gone Some Time Large

Scottie: I’m going anyway. Someone brave has got to do it.

Mawson: Oh dear. He’s brave but whats the use.

Hmmm .. What if we ALL go Out There. Together. That could do it.

You have wandered into Mawson Bear’s web-den. Mawson is a Ponderer of Baffling Things (between naps) and the Writer-Bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In .

“The book brings back such nostalagic memories that it made it comforting, like a old security blanket.” FNM Book reviews.

Magic Arrives in our Mail: Feuding Fae

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Mail has arrived! Word has gone out to every cushion, bed and lounge in Mawson’s castle. Word on the carpet is that inside this seemingly innocent looking parcel there is a magical tale.

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The Tedettes crowd around the Magic parcel that arrived in the Mail.

Young Jewell (in striped sleeping hat) tells everyone that only a magic sword will work for the opening. Bonnet and Oscar, recoiling away, are not so sure, especially as Jewell seems got hold of the wrong end of it. Samantha (far left) brought her pet Dino along. Dino wants to know more about these rumoured Phoenixes. Suspicious creatures, Phoenixes, Dino is thinking.

The Magical Mail was posted from far away – where steampunk heroines and water dragons live – by FELICITY BANKS . And this is what is in it:

Magic in the Mail: Feuding Fae

“This is a tale of two missing magical creatures; a phoenix and a water dragon. The missing ones have left a trail of art behind them. Can you help find them before it’s too late?”

What happens is, you get parcels in the post! Not just a book but a parcel with Things In It. Inside are artworks and CLUES. You can see examples of the artwork at Felicity’s Home on the Web right here.

You begin to read the story about the water dragons and the phonenixs. There has been a disappearance, possibly a kidnapping. Oh dear. You read the stories and letters and notes and clues. And discuss them all (there is a noticeboard where readers and players can discuss it). And you puzzle out what is going on. You might end up still completly baffled so far and have to wait for the next clues in the next parcel.

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Frenzied unwrapping of the Magic in the Mail

Oh look, inside the outside parcel is an inside parcel! Frenzied unwrapping ensures. Stay tuned.

Interactive Fiction:

Felicity writes other Interactive Fiction too. As with Feuding Fae, you don’t just read but get involved. They are also known as Choose Your Own Adventure Stories. It’s a different and absorbing way of reading, and its suitable for all ages. In fact, people of all ages could do it together and take a break from the telly.
Excited by the whole idea of Interactive Stories? Consider Murder in the Mail. Dastardly deeds are done and, as the clues arrive in your mail, you get to be the detective. Again, the clues are in various forms including original art. For more Interactive games and stories have a look at IFDB, a database about them.

You have wandered into Mawson Bear’s web-den. Between naps among cushions, Mawson ponders about Baffling Things. He is the Writer-Bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In .

Bears in Shops Just Want To Go Home

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There you are. A bear. A plushie. A stuffie. You need someone to love you. But they haven’t found you yet.

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You sit. In the shop. Behind the glass. You look your best. You wait.

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‘Take me home!” you call, as quietly as imagination. ‘Take me Home”.

 

This Teddy Bear Shop is the very one where, 20 years ago, I was found. I was right inside. I had lots of friends there but still, it wasn’t Home.

ShopWhereFrom

One grand day I was taken Home as a surprise present.

May everyone find the home they need. May the homes that need you find You.

You are in the web den of Mawson Bear, Ponderer of Baffling Things (between naps). and Writer-Bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In  from Odyssey Books.

 

Gustav and the Ironing

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Greetings fellow Baffled Ones,

My name is Gustave.

4 Gustav

 I like words and poems.
And the ironing.
Ironing is so peaceful.

 

5 Ironing 2115

I could sit and watch it all day long.

You have wandered into Mawson Bear’s web-den.  Between naps in gardens, Mawson ponders about Baffling Things. He is the Writer-Bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In .

“The book brings back such nostalagic memories that it made it comforting, like a  old security blanket.”  FNM Book reviews.

Free the Bears, by Mary Hutton and Julie Miller

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Mission of Free The Bears: To protect, preserve and enrich the lives of bears throughout the world.

Mawson’s guardian Mark says: Today I am proud to talk about the book ‘Free The Bears’. It is the story of a rescue organisation which I have supported for twenty years. This fascinating and often heartbreaking read is about a long hard battle to better the lot of cruelly treated animals.

It is now widely known that for the sake of the supposed ‘properties’ of their bile thousands of bears have been imprisoned and cruelly treated. In Perth, Australia, one evening in 1993, Mary Hutton watched in horror as the first footage of the practice played on the TV. ‘It was the eyes that did it, those limpid black pools, pleading and frightened’. After weeks of sleepless nights she decided that she ‘had to do something’. But what? All she could think of was drawing up a handwritten petition and nervously standing in the local shopping centre.

‘Would you like to sign a petition to help the bears in China’, I said in a weak voice. ‘Too right I would, love! Just give me the bloody pencil’. .. After half an hour people were queuing to sign. Ch. 1

And so it began. A 55 year old housewife and mother found her named linked with the bears in newspapers, even Parliament. ‘What can we do to help?’, strangers began to ask. ‘It was then I realised I could not stop with this one petition .. I had to help free the bears, one step at a time’.

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The sloth bear on the back cover had a miserable existance ‘dancing’ for tourists. Now he lives safe and pampered. In exchange, his Kandahar owner received seed money for a small business.

In the early days the small but fast growing group focused on raising money to direct to those on the ground, in particular Jill Robertson who later formed Animals Asia and who has done so much fine work. Out of the blue ‘Free The Bears’ was asked to help with little Sun bears in Cambodia and destined for a horrible fate (I will not describe it here: it still upsets me). This mission seemed impossible and was not helped by some idiocies of bureaucracy at the Australian end. But again, good people rallied: a member of Parliament, a television crew, an airline, Taronga zoo and many more. The saved bears, ‘Lucille’, ‘Victoria’, and ‘Mr Hobbs’ touched down in Sydney in 1997.

Since that time Free the Bears has worked ceaselessly, one step at a time, first in Cambodia then Laos and Vietnam, to build and run sanctuaries for the animals. Teaming with local groups and agencies, Free The Bears has helped raise awareness in these nations about their precious wildlife. Humans are helped too: some of the very villagers who, driven by extreme poverty, once poached bears, are now equipped and trained to be rangers, diligently protecting the wildlife in their territories.

Such was the success in Cambodia that Mary was approached in 2002 by Mrs Maneka Ghandi and Wildlife SOS of India. They wanted to do something both about the plight of sloth bears forced to ‘perform’ for tourists, and about the poverty of their owners, the Kandahar people. Could Free the bears help? Free the Bears did. More than five hundred bears later, a great day arrived in 2009.

I watch with a lump in my throat as Raju, the last known dancing bear of India, walks the road to freedom. This is animal welfare history in the making.

Free Bears Mawson Oora 1 Small

Mawson Bear has always sat up proudly in support of ‘Free The Bears’ which works for fellow bears everywhere.

Mary speaks not just of the good days and successes but of the struggles, the disappointments, and of personal loss. We are also confronted, sadly, with the seeming unending capacity of some humans for the ghastly treatment of animals. Some of the rescued bears were so badly injured and weak they could not survive. Others had lost limbs, or had organ troubles, or had lost all their teeth, or were blind. Twenty six years after Mary Hutton stood up alone in that shopping centre, and despite all the work achieved by Free the Bears, and by similar organisations around the world, the need is as great as ever. Yet every single bear rescued can now live a safe and pampered life in a sanctuary.

The light is back in their eyes.

Ways to help: One way would be to buy and read this book and share it about. All proceeds go to the bears.

Where to find Free the Bears published by Pan Macmillan Australia (2013), ISBN13: 9781742611969. Please consider buying direct from FreeTheBears.Org. Here you can even get a signed copy; also merchandise like the cute teddies in my photos. A book or a teddy or a donation, or just sharing on this post: it all helps.

Useful links: The book can also be found at Amazon and AbeBooks.com and at Bookdepository.com .

Writer Julie Miller is passionate about travel, animal welfare, and Thailand in particular.

At FreeTheBears.Org and also on Instagram you can can see the latest on the work. Sometimes (and this shows how the effort is needed as much as ever) you can follow a rescue in progress.

AbeBooks. Thousands of booksellers - millions of books.

Wildlife SOS does tremendous work with bears and elephants.

You have wandered into Mawson Bear’s web-den. Between naps in gardens, Mawson ponders about Baffling Things. He is the Writer-Bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In .

A Ponder About Life, by Mawson

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Fellow Baffled Ones,

Garden Ponder 2930

Could life be ..

Garden Ponder 2933

.. just lots of interruptions …

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.. between snoozes ..

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.. in a garden?

You have wandered into Mawson Bear’s web-den.  Between naps in gardens, Mawson ponders about Baffling Things. He is the Writer-Bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In .

“The book brings back such nostalagic memories that it made it comforting, like a  old security blanket.”  FNM Book reviews.

 

Sometimes You Want To Leave It All Behind

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Mawson:  I’m weary of it all, Bomund. Weary.  All these Signins and Passwords,  Pins and and updates and apps. And the downloads and themes and modes, Logins and Likes and locks, and statuses and scans and resets and shares. And lists of things to do …

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Buttons and backups and reboots and recharges and little keys that my big paws keep missing and words that spall thomselves rrong.  Categories, contacts, connections and comments, keywords and tags and formats and filters.  Secrets answers I forget. And Things that break down. Things to get serviced. Things that just won’t work. And lists and lists and lists of things to do ….

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Mawson sighs over all the botherations of a writer-bears life. Bomund Bear listens, as good friends do.

So I’m going away. Yes, I am , Bomund, I’m leaving it all behind. No more things that ring or buzz or go Ping.  It’s the simple life for me, Bomund. I’m starting now.

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All I want is my change of bowties, because a bear wants to always look his best. And basic provisions of .. umm .. cocoa-rich chocolate shells with smooth fillings to melt in the mouth.

Farewell, world of botherations. Farewell getting words typed all wrong. Goodbye screens! Goodbye lists!

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Bomund: That sounds grand, Mawson. Can I come too? Can I? Can I?

You have wandered into Mawson Bear’s web-den.  Mawson is a  Ponderer of Baffling Things (between naps) and the Writer-Bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In .

“The book brings back such nostalagic memories that it made it comforting, like a  old security blanket.”  FNM Book reviews.

Listening: A Guide for Bears

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Fellow Baffled Ones,

Everybody needs a listener sometimes.

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It’s grand to be trusted to be the listen-ee,

Umm the hearing-er-er,
Bother, the umm, friend who will listen.

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Sometimes a friend won’t even know where to start.
You can be a good listener then just by waiting.

m listening

If you don’t know what to say to them, there’s no need.
To comfort most, be lost for words.

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While you’re listening,
the grandest bear in all their world
is you.

m listening and reading

Being who your friend can talk to
is mostly all a friend wants in the end.

You are in the web den of Mawson Bear, Ponderer of Baffling Things (between naps). and Writer-Bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In .

“Just pure magic. A bear’s love is never far away and can be shared and passed on through generations.” Susan Hampson, of Books From Dawn To Dusk.

Frilly: Nervous Explorer, Doubtful Heroine

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Fellow Baffled Ones,  soon your Writer-Bear (that’s Me!) will have more than One book in the wide, bright world. I expect it will be book Number … ummm … some sort of number … tricky things, numbers are … Just a moment please ..

[Mawson’s Guardian, whispers: Your “second” book, Mawson. That means its “Number Two”.

Mawson: Too? Is that what a Too is? Well I never.]

Mawson: So, this Too Book has Frilly in it. And here is Frilly.

1 This is Frilly Small

 Our Frilly ran away from Love. That’s what our Too book is going to be called: “She Ran Away from Love, by Mawson Bear“.

Frilly: I couldn’t help it, Mawson.

Mawson: But it was Love, Frilly.  Love is Good.

Frilly: But it shone so brightly!  I was scared

2 Scared

What does Frilly do next? Well, it really is most interesting because  ..

[Guardian: Mawson, Mawson, Shhhhh. That’s what the book is about!]

Mawson: So … errr ..  I shouldn’t say it here?

[Guardian: Best not, Mawson. Not yet.]

Mawson: Oh. Well, umm, Frilly’s book – and I’m in it Too – what a funny number that is – anyway , Frilly’s book is mostly about what happens after She Ran Away .

What would happen to YOU if you ran away from Love?

Mawson’s Guardian adds:  For more news about our Frilly, plonk your paw on the Follow button.

And don’t forget Mawson’s One book, I mean his First Book, a grand present for yourself , and for everyone you know who appreciates Stuffing. It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In is already out in the wide world.

‘This book made me smile. This book made my heart sing.’ Pauline Dewberry of thedailymews.com

‘Heartwarming and poignant’. Jack Magnus of Readers Favourite.

It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In  and, soon, She Ran Away From Love are from Odyssey Books.  Ask your friendly book shop to order one for you – and another one for a  huggable friend.  Bears LOVE bookshops. Umm … You may need this enormous number:  ISBN 978-1-922200-44-0.  Funny things aren’t they, Numbers.

OR you can plonk your paw to order it here through Book Depository (free shipping all over the world). Also at Amazon and Abebooks.com and Goodreads.com .

You are in the web den of Mawson Bear, Ponderer of Baffling Things (between naps) and Writer-Bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In  .

 

Meet Mawson’s Cousin, Sir Peregrine Flaxton-Pauncefoot

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Fellow Baffled Ones, Meet my esteemed cousin, Sir Peregrine Flaxton-Pauncefoot  (“Do call me Perry, old chaps”).

These days Sir Peregrine, umm, Perry,  resides in Queensland, Australia, lolling among cushions, accepting cuddles, pondering about dapper bow ties, perusing literature and sampling certain particular types of grape juice.

Cousin Perry reads Mawson Bear's book

Sir Peregrine Flaxton-Pauncefoot reads It’s A Bright World

When Perry first arrived in this country, though, he had a distressing time. He was plonked down in one place after another until he actually ended up in a Seconds Shop. Yes! The fate dreaded by all teddy bears fear happened to him- he had been Marked Down!!

Well of course our guardians rescued him right away. They sent him off to learn gentle-bear-ing from a wise gentleman and Perry was at last Appreciated.

Here he is enjoying my very own Opus! He felt so pleased with the ending that he fell asleep. Napping is of course the privilege of gentle-bears everywhere.

You are in the web den of Mawson Bear, Ponderer of Baffling Things (between naps). And Writer-Bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In .

My Splendid Career As A Bear About Town

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Dear fellow Baffled Ones,

There may have been no ME, once.
No Mawson at all, fancy that!
Then, one day I found myself sort of There. Yes, There I Was!

I was sitting .. hmm .. Where was it now? In a shop, that’s where.

ShopWhereFrom

I heard a cry well up from deep down in my stuffing.
“Take me Home”, cried that cry, “Take me Home”.
And some one heard. And did.

When I was quite sure I had a home, I Went Out.
So began my splendid career as a Bear About Town.

Iwentout 1992

I was much sought after.
Best Bear at weddings, dancing partner, picnics, parties, restaurants, chauffeurs .. the best of everything. Oh, they were grand days.

Parties 1993

I dashed about admiring the wide, bright world.
I was a lucky bear and got to doze at nice places.

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Sadly, fellow baffled ones, there seems to always be that word, “but”.
There was a price to pay. It was (gulp) the Distressing Episode of the Washing Machine. And after that, this bear considered it wise, very wise, to stay Indoors among cushions.

You are in the web den of Mawson Bear, Ponderer of Baffling Things (between naps). and Writer-Bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In .

“Just pure magic.  A bear’s love is never far away and can be shared and passed on through generations.” Susan Hampson, of Books From Dawn To Dusk.

Whoosh Control is Ready to Whirl

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Fellow Baffled Ones,

As every one knows, it takes the bravest of the brave to get an annual wash.  Our Scotland the Brave here demonstrates his own procedure. We do not recommend this for fellow Baffled Ones at home.

Bath 2

Ready for whoosh-off.

Me, Mawson: Wash Control to Scotty: You don’t have to do this. Grubby bears get loved too!
Scotland, Whoosh-A-Naut: Some one has to show the way, Mawson.

Bath 3

 

Me: Oh no! More whoosh-a-nauts. If only they emerge with the same stuffing they went in with.

Bath 1

 

Me, Mawson: Yes, friends, this is embarrassing too. But I don’t like the whoosh machine. At least this tub stays still. And its hand wash only for Me.

Bath 4

You are in the web den of Mawson Bear, Ponderer of Baffling Things (between naps). and Writer-Bear of It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In  from Odyssey Books.

‘Great book, well written and extremely engaging. Bonus it is all about bears!!!!
Marvellous !!!!!!!’  Reviewer Navaron on Amazon.

 

 

 

Mawson Bear’s bright world of friends

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‘Jamaica, Bhutan, Armenia, Morocco, Greece, Nepal, Canada, Belgium?’
Umm, Yes. Here they are.
‘Scotland, Japan, Russia, France, Korea, Iceland, Norway?’
Oh, indeed, yes.
‘Brazil, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Georgia, New Zealand?’
Let’s see .. Those too.
‘Kazakstan, Kenya, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Turkey, Finland?’
All of them yes. Keep going, Mawson.
‘Umm Bearistan, Hippoland, Dragons Vale, The Ocean, Lilpondia …’.
What, Mawson, Ocean? Lilypondia?’
“They’re where our Shark and Octopii and Dolphin and Frog friends live.’
Oh yes. Ah, they are here too.
‘Umm.. Mexico, USA, South Africa …’
Mawson and friends look for the many places where their Inter-Plush friends live.

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Mawson, one of this bright world’s very few published writer-bears, and his Baffled Bunch bring you picture books suitable for all ages and for every shape and stuffing. They live in Perth, Ostraylia, errr, Australia.

My first book is called It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In from Odyssey Books.

‘Great book, well written and extremely engaging. Bonus it is all about bears!!!!
Marvellous !!!!!!!’  Reviewer Navaron on Amazon.

You are in the web den of Mawson Bear, Ponderer of Baffling Things (between naps) and Writer-Bear .