The Biggest Bear

This book is a 1953 Caldecott Medal Winner

Exposition: This story takes place on a farm way back in the day. This was when young boys roamed the forest in search of bears. In fact, Johnny Orchard hopes to meet a bear. He wants to shoot a bear and nail the bearskin to his barn. For that is how it was done back then. Eveyone had a bearskin nailed to their barns except Johnny's family.
Conflict: Johnny decides he will go bear hunting. He takes his gun and does indeed meet a bear. But this is not the bear Johnny had been expecting for it was only a cub. Instead of shooting it Johnny feeds him maple sugar candy and brings him home.
Rising Action: His parents were surprised that Johnny had brought home a live bear. Apparently the family allowed him to keep it and it ended up eating everything. Not only that but the bear got into the neighbors barns and made some really big messes. The neighbors were not happy and Johnny's father told him it was time for the bear to go.
Climax: Twice Johnny tried to bring the bear into the woods and twice the bear was back again the next morning. The third time Johnny put the bear in a boat and brought him to an island. The bear was back the next morning. Finally his father told him that Johnny would have to shoot the bear.
Falling Action:  As Johnny leads the bear into the woods they are both caught off guard when they become trapped in a bear trap.
Resolution: The trap had been set by people who were collecting animals for the zoo. Johnny was happy that the bear would have a nice place to live. He was told he could visit as often as he wished. And bring maple sugar candy!

The illustrations in this book are beautiful. They are black and white but I would actually descibe them more sepia in color. They are very detailed and the expressions of the people and the bear are well captured.
Ward, L. (1952). The biggest bear. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.