WANDER

In this picture book, a curious bear who has just emerged from hibernation explores the vast wilderness and makes some friends along the way.

An unnamed bear emerges from their cave to see a sunny spring day and wanders around the forest. Next comes summer, when the bear befriends a turtle and embarks on various adventures such as swimming and hiding from lightning. Eventually, birds warn the bear about winter. As winter descends, the bear realizes it’s finally time to return to their cave and hibernate once again. While the book provides no words, each page contains one or more glyphs that reveal the storyline. The glyphs are explained in a glossary, with some being more obvious (a rain cloud meaning “rain”) than others (a small circle within a larger circle meaning “curious”). Valero’s captivating illustrations feature deep, saturated colors and an adorably rotund bear with a magnificently expressive face. They also include some unusual angles, such as a bee’s aerial view and a caterpillar’s glimpse of a gaping bear mouth as it’s about to be eaten. The lack of words does nothing to limit the bear’s escapades, with the actions and expressions made so clear that the glyphs are not always needed (although they certainly provide a lot of fun). Valero has created a book that is utterly unique—a wonderful romp through the woods that ultimately proves words are not always necessary to tell a rich, rewarding story.

This delightful, wordless story encapsulates adventure and natural beauty through its charming illustrations and glyphs.