BEAR LOVES HIS HOME

Who wouldn’t adore this unspoiled, welcoming landscape?

A cinnamon-colored North American black bear cub moves through a wild place described in smoothly metrical verses with repeated rhymes. To Bear, the countryside is a well-stocked ursine cupboard; his crepuscular foraging provides seeds, grubs, trout, honey, and berries. Throughout the story, the light changes as the day wanes until Bear falls asleep in his mother’s arms. Lobo’s warm illustrations, simplified but still realistic, rely on varied perspectives and accurate details. Young viewers will enjoy spotting Bear’s mother, who keeps a close eye on her cub from a discreet distance, and identifying the other creatures with whom Bear shares his beloved home, among them deer, a fox, raccoons, lizards, and a turtle. Little ones will surely clamor for repeat readings, which will allow them to take in the more subtle elements of the artwork. Backmatter discusses black bear anatomy, habitat, diet, and behavior; Jameson also advises readers on how to spot bears and how to behave near them. She employs rich vocabulary (whimsical, gorges, and ravenous) in the story, while the backmatter references hibernation and habituation, though this section doesn’t offer details on the supporting cast of fauna.

A lovely evening in the life of a black bear, perfect for nocturnal sharing among humans.