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Summary
Summary
When a young bear finds a scrap of an old letter, he is so curious about the mysterious marks that he searches out their source--a cabin in the woods. There he meets a young woman and is mesmerized by the sound of her voice. Though he cannot understand her words, he returns every day to hear the woman's stories of sailors, goddesses, and far-off lands.
Dennis Haseley's magical fantasy and Jim LaMarche's luminous illustrations together celebrate the joy of reading. A book sure to delight any child who has ever been read to.
Author Notes
DENNIS HASELEY has written many fine books for children, including the acclaimed Kite Flier and The Old Banjo. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
JIM LAMARCHE is the illustrator of Albert, which Publishers Weekly called, in a starred review, "a magical marriage of art and text." He lives in Santa Cruz, California.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-A young bear finds a piece of paper with black marks on it in the woods and keeps it for several years, wondering about its meaning. One summer, he wanders farther than usual and discovers a cabin in a clearing, and a woman holding a mysterious square thing in her hands. He returns day after day, his curiosity compelling him closer to her. One afternoon, she invites him to sit with her. Thus begins a daily routine of the woman reading aloud to the bear, who cannot understand the words, but is mesmerized by the tones and melodies of her voice. The bear is anthropomorphized, but still a believably realistic wild bear. LaMarche's illustrations, done in warm tones of acrylic and colored pencil on watercolor paper, back up this realistic tone. There are a couple of awkward elements in the plot, the most obvious of which is the letter that begins the story and reappears in the middle but is never explained. However, children are not likely to notice the snags, but will focus instead on the gentle warmth of the story.-Heather E. Miller, Homewood Public Library, AL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In Haseley's (Kite Flier) wistful tale of a bear beguiled by a woman he befriends one summer, inconsistencies render the events more puzzling than haunting. The narrative begins from the bear's point of view, as he first discovers "something lying on the ground," which readers can see is a letter. On the next spread, the narrative voice shifts: "Through the years, the bear looked at the paper with wonder it seemed as far away and mysterious as the moon." Next, the text switches to the main action: the bear observes a woman outside her cabin, carrying something he can describe only as "a mysterious square thing." However, in the next sentence he identifies it: "He [tried] to understand what she was doing as she held the book." The tug-of-war in point of view continues as the woman begins to read aloud to the bear. At the end of her stay, she leaves her books for him (even though he cannot read), and he takes them back to his cave, where they provide him with comfort all winter. LaMarche's (The Raft) shimmering pastel spreads go far to carry the tale over its rough spots. The artwork conveys the bear and the woman in growing intimacy, their heads drawing closer together over the shared books. Nature scenes chronicle the passing of the summer; in the sky behind them, geese fly south, hinting at her departure. Yet LaMarche alone cannot clarify the narrative. Some children may find the magic in this peaceable kingdom, but more will be left outside, wondering what to make of it. Ages 5-8. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
In this cozy fantasy about the pleasures of reading aloud, a woman reads stories to a bear who lives in the woods by her cabin. When the woman leaves the cabin at the end of the summer, she gives the books to the bear, who brings them back to his cave. Soft, muted illustrations complement the tranquil text. From HORN BOOK Fall 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A tender, if unlikely, episode that affirms the value of both the written and the spoken word. When a bookish young woman, summering alone in a rustic cabin, sees that a curious bear is spying on her, she calmly begins reading aloud. Day after day the bear returns to hear more, not understanding the words, but responding to the feelings and expression in the woman's voice. At summer's end, she leaves her books behind, so the bear carefully carries them to his den, hearing as he sleeps among them, her voice "telling him a tale of adventure, and magic, and love." Reflecting the story's mystical air, LaMarche's (Albert, 2001, etc.) woodland scenes are all hazy edges and diffuse light; his fine-featured, casually dressed reader projects an air of serenity unruffled by the huge, shaggy ursine listener crouching at her feet. Despite the bear's bulk, there's never a hint of tension or danger; instead, Haseley's measured prose and the illustrator's warmly harmonious palette combine to imbue the (seemingly) ordinary act of sharing a book with a deep sense of wonder. And adults willing to look beneath the surface will find a message about the value of reading to preverbal children, too. (Picture book. 6-9)