Close Modal

A Bear, a Man, and a Donut Van

Part of Bear, Bee

Illustrated by Brandon James Scott
Look inside
Hardcover
$18.99 US
10.44"W x 10.38"H x 0.38"D   | 17 oz | 28 per carton
On sale Feb 03, 2026 | 40 Pages | 9781662641206
Age 4-8 years | Preschool - 3

additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
An Amazon Best Book of the Month

Kirkus Reviews, starred review
BookPage, starred review

Hungry as always, Bear finally feasts on DONUTS in his third picture book adventure. With delightful art, perfect rhyme, and the series’ indelible screwball appeal, A Bear, a Man, and a Donut Van will have everyone in stitches and demanding repeat readings!


Everyone’s favorite hungry bear is back! This time Bear discovers a van full of donuts—YUM! Bear climbs in the van, but the unsuspecting donut man doesn't see what's going on. Until... he looks in his rear view mirror, and OMG!!! What should a donut man do when a bear is eating donuts in his van?

Here is a road trip neither bear nor man will ever forget—with mooses, traffic jams, and a giant forest donut spill. With mayhem and fun on every page, the critically acclaimed duo of Daniel Bernstrom and Brandon James Scott are at their best in this high-stakes joyride through millions of donuts, perfect for toddlers and new readers alike.
An Amazon Best Book of the Month

★ "Parallel lives converge in the funniest possible way in A Bear, a Man, and a Donut Van... Kids will be wriggling in their seats at this point, anticipating the chaos to come in this charming, action-packed adventure—especially if they’ve enjoyed educator and author Daniel Bernstrom’s previous bear-centric books, the boisterous A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree and A Bear, a Fish, and a Fishy Wish... Illustrator and animator Brandon James Scott’s impressively expressive art perfectly captures the wild shock of man and bear when their eyes finally meet: Donuts fly, crumbs spray and the two confection connoisseurs shriek in mutual terror as the speeding van careens down a winding mountain road . . . and heads right for a googly-eyed-moose traffic jam! Now what? A Bear, a Man, and a Donut Van moves at perfectly paced breakneck speed, barreling toward a wild and very sweet conclusion. Bernstrom’s spare text expertly employs bouncy repetition and engaging rhyme that makes for a supremely upbeat reading experience, and kids will pore over Scott’s superb art in search of other donut-loving woodland creatures (unsurprisingly, there are many). It’s a joy-inducing, humorous tale that’s sure to be a favorite reread at bedtime, storytime or any time donuts are served."--BookPage, starred review

★ “What happens when a bear hijacks a van filled with pastries? The tale’s minimal text, made up of single words and extremely short phrases, nevertheless reveals an exciting, humorous storyline —a rare feat... No matter how dire the situation appears, Bernstrom and Scott keep the tale light and hilarious right to the end. Cleverly rendered rhymes and repetition encourage pre-readers to memorize the words and beginning readers to shine, while the art will tickle their funny bones. Short and utterly sweet.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Our favorite bear is back! With donuts! Read on for heart warming and frosting covered chaos - a must read!”—Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, TX

“This bear gets me every time, man. Leave it to these books to keep me laughing.”—Weller Book Works, Salt Lake City Utah

“The rhyming, repetition of phrases and delightful illustrations make this a fun read-aloud book.”—Mollie Mitchell, HearthFire Bookstore, Evergreen, CO

“This book is a delightful reading experience for readers and listeners of all ages. It is a perfect 'cuddle-up before bedtime' book because the rhythmic sentences lull the listener to sleep. The story is easy to understand and follow without concentration and the art is engaging and colorful.”—Nina Radakovich, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library, Atlanta, GA
Daniel Bernstrom is a teacher, a poet, and an author of picture books, including One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree, illustrated by Brendan Wenzel. His book Big Papa and the Time Machine won the Minnesota Book Award and is the story of his grandfather leaving the south to find work and start a family amidst the challenges of 20th-century African American life. Daniel lives in Worthington, Minnesota with his family. View titles by Daniel Bernstrom
By day Brandon is a Creative Director working in animation and by night he illustrates picture books. For over a decade Brandon has worked on a range of hit animated entertainment including his own creation, the award-winning series, Justin Time. He loves to make art that brings adventure, levity, heart, and curiosity for the fantastic and whimsical world around us and in our dreams. A born and raised Canadian, he currently lives with his family in Toronto. View titles by Brandon James Scott

Catching up with Jill and Dan!

Introducing A BEAR, A MAN, AND A DONUT VAN with Jill and Dan

Classroom Activities for A Bear, a Man, and a Donut Van

Classroom activities supplement discussion and traditional lessons with group projects and creative tasks. Can be used in pre-existing units and lessons, or as stand-alone.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Photos

additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo

About

An Amazon Best Book of the Month

Kirkus Reviews, starred review
BookPage, starred review

Hungry as always, Bear finally feasts on DONUTS in his third picture book adventure. With delightful art, perfect rhyme, and the series’ indelible screwball appeal, A Bear, a Man, and a Donut Van will have everyone in stitches and demanding repeat readings!


Everyone’s favorite hungry bear is back! This time Bear discovers a van full of donuts—YUM! Bear climbs in the van, but the unsuspecting donut man doesn't see what's going on. Until... he looks in his rear view mirror, and OMG!!! What should a donut man do when a bear is eating donuts in his van?

Here is a road trip neither bear nor man will ever forget—with mooses, traffic jams, and a giant forest donut spill. With mayhem and fun on every page, the critically acclaimed duo of Daniel Bernstrom and Brandon James Scott are at their best in this high-stakes joyride through millions of donuts, perfect for toddlers and new readers alike.

Praise

An Amazon Best Book of the Month

★ "Parallel lives converge in the funniest possible way in A Bear, a Man, and a Donut Van... Kids will be wriggling in their seats at this point, anticipating the chaos to come in this charming, action-packed adventure—especially if they’ve enjoyed educator and author Daniel Bernstrom’s previous bear-centric books, the boisterous A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree and A Bear, a Fish, and a Fishy Wish... Illustrator and animator Brandon James Scott’s impressively expressive art perfectly captures the wild shock of man and bear when their eyes finally meet: Donuts fly, crumbs spray and the two confection connoisseurs shriek in mutual terror as the speeding van careens down a winding mountain road . . . and heads right for a googly-eyed-moose traffic jam! Now what? A Bear, a Man, and a Donut Van moves at perfectly paced breakneck speed, barreling toward a wild and very sweet conclusion. Bernstrom’s spare text expertly employs bouncy repetition and engaging rhyme that makes for a supremely upbeat reading experience, and kids will pore over Scott’s superb art in search of other donut-loving woodland creatures (unsurprisingly, there are many). It’s a joy-inducing, humorous tale that’s sure to be a favorite reread at bedtime, storytime or any time donuts are served."--BookPage, starred review

★ “What happens when a bear hijacks a van filled with pastries? The tale’s minimal text, made up of single words and extremely short phrases, nevertheless reveals an exciting, humorous storyline —a rare feat... No matter how dire the situation appears, Bernstrom and Scott keep the tale light and hilarious right to the end. Cleverly rendered rhymes and repetition encourage pre-readers to memorize the words and beginning readers to shine, while the art will tickle their funny bones. Short and utterly sweet.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Our favorite bear is back! With donuts! Read on for heart warming and frosting covered chaos - a must read!”—Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, TX

“This bear gets me every time, man. Leave it to these books to keep me laughing.”—Weller Book Works, Salt Lake City Utah

“The rhyming, repetition of phrases and delightful illustrations make this a fun read-aloud book.”—Mollie Mitchell, HearthFire Bookstore, Evergreen, CO

“This book is a delightful reading experience for readers and listeners of all ages. It is a perfect 'cuddle-up before bedtime' book because the rhythmic sentences lull the listener to sleep. The story is easy to understand and follow without concentration and the art is engaging and colorful.”—Nina Radakovich, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library, Atlanta, GA

Author

Daniel Bernstrom is a teacher, a poet, and an author of picture books, including One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree, illustrated by Brendan Wenzel. His book Big Papa and the Time Machine won the Minnesota Book Award and is the story of his grandfather leaving the south to find work and start a family amidst the challenges of 20th-century African American life. Daniel lives in Worthington, Minnesota with his family. View titles by Daniel Bernstrom
By day Brandon is a Creative Director working in animation and by night he illustrates picture books. For over a decade Brandon has worked on a range of hit animated entertainment including his own creation, the award-winning series, Justin Time. He loves to make art that brings adventure, levity, heart, and curiosity for the fantastic and whimsical world around us and in our dreams. A born and raised Canadian, he currently lives with his family in Toronto. View titles by Brandon James Scott

Media

Catching up with Jill and Dan!

Introducing A BEAR, A MAN, AND A DONUT VAN with Jill and Dan

Additional Materials

Classroom Activities for A Bear, a Man, and a Donut Van

Classroom activities supplement discussion and traditional lessons with group projects and creative tasks. Can be used in pre-existing units and lessons, or as stand-alone.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)