Summer Reading 2023 The Bear and Her Book

 

"The world is big, and there's much to see, and a bear must go where she wants to be." That seems like a pretty good philosophy for anyone, especially a reader. This particular bear has a book that she carries with her on her adventures, Bear's Big Book of Being Wise. Armed with the knowledge in her book she sets off to the sea, the jungle, the desert, even aboard a ship. At each new place she finds a creature in need and advice for how to help them in her handy book. Although she enjoys her new friends, something always pulls her onward looking for more. Perhaps her journey will take her to a place that has everything she needs.

Tosdevin's rhyming text carries readers gently along in Bear's wake as she sees far-off lands and makes new acquaintances. O'Connor's illustrations capture the starlight shimmering on the sea, the vibrant green of the jungle, and the golden yellow of desert sand. I was curious about how the images were created, so I looked up information on the book: "illustrations are hand-drawn using mixed media such as ink, gouache, oil pastels, and more" is what I found. 

Taken together, as all picture books should be, the text and illustrations weave a delightful spell of curiosity, kindness, and the confidence to keep looking until you find the perfect place for yourself. A lovely read and sure to be a favorite at storytimes as little ones chime in with the repetitve phrase.

I read an advance copy provided by the publisher for review purposes.