The Very Brave Bear by Nick Bland (Toronto, Scholastic) $14.99
The star of The Very Hungry Bear and The Very Itchy Bear is back for another rollicking adventure told in verse.
Australian author Nick Bland has created a delightful character who will resonate with the picture book crowd. Bear is startled by Boris Buffalo while picking berries and in order to regain his pride declares he was not scared and will demonstrate his bravery. The one-upmanship continues with the two of them climbing trees, crossing raging rivers and swinging through trees among other daredevil activities. Then both Bear and Boris encounter a very scary cave from which comes a loud, scary roar and the two of them make a unanimous decision to run away and hide. The perpetrator of the roar, a tiny frog, assures them he had no intention of scaring them and the story ends on a happy note as all agree they are equally brave.
The illustrations depict animals with attitude and lots of character. Give this to the small daredevil in your family.
Spirit Bear by Jennifer Harrington, illustrated by Michael Arnott (Toronto, Eco Books 4 Kids) $19.99
Annuk, a white spirit bear cub, has a big adventure after falling into a river while trying to catch a salmon. While trying to find his way home, he encounters many other animals that live in the Great Bear Rainforest. The misty beauty of this lovely part of the B.C. coast is nicely realized in the illustrations. The author, who grew up in North Vancouver, has dedicated this book to the Gitga'at people of Hartley Bay who believed the raven, creator of the rainforest, turned every 10th bear white as a reminder of the last ice age.
A package of educational resources is available for purchase online from the book's website.
Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons by Jon J. Muth (NY, Scholastic) $19.99
Haiku poetry about a little panda bear called Koo (hence the play on words in the title). Muth is the author of The Three Questions, a picture book based on a Tolstoy story. Gorgeous paintings accompany 26 haiku about the four seasons. The poems capture the essence of the seasons and the gently reflective mood of the text matches the illustrations. My favourite poem is "Reading aloud, a favorite book, an audience of sparrows." The illustration of a young boy sitting cross-legged in the woods while his sister feeds the birds is just perfect. A lovely picture book to share between generations.
Fran Ashdown was the children's librarian at the Capilano branch of the North Vancouver District Public Library. She has had lots of bear encounters in her own backyard. For more information check your local libraries.
