Bear's Book by Claire Freedman, Alison Friend
Published by Templar Books on May 14th 2019
ISBN: 1536205710
Pages: 34
Goodreads

This is a story about a bear who loves to read who decides to write his own story. He is stuck on what to write so he goes out for a back scratch on a tree and a series of interactions with friends which inspire him creatively. He goes to the different animals as he takes the time to think about what story to write. The text includes “Bear’s Story” as a two page spread that folds out with different coloring.

The illustrations in this story are very soft with muted colors. They show full detailed scenes to accompany the text. These are thick pages with matte paper.

The theme of this story could be that inspiration for creativity could come from anywhere. I would compare story to Winnie the Pooh with how the bear acts bumbling about and the scenery. The book would be appropriate for upper preschool to kindergarten as it is wordy but the subject matter fits younger children. It would be useful for early school age children who are beginning to write and tell their own stories.

Reviewed by Kathleen Powers, Winslow Public Library, Winslow, ME