BACKYARD BEAR

Told mostly from a bear's point of view, a thoughtful, nonjudgmental, and scrupulously realistic depiction of people in uneasy confrontation with the wild. In a note, Murphy explains that human encroachments on bears' territory and the lure of easy food are making bear sightings in suburban neighborhoods more common. This story describes such an incident. Driven away by an older bear protecting some blackberries, a bear follows the smell of food into town, where he disturbs some raccoons and rouses a dog and its family who, when they realize it's a bear, call the police. In the confusion created by the interaction of the dog, a boy with a camera, his frightened parents, and a policeman about to shoot the cornered animal, the bear knocks down a fence, then hides out nearby until escaping to the woods at dawn. Greene's dark, dramatically posed paintings nicely capture the ambience of the peaceful, moonlit rural community and the confusion of an exciting encounter that could easily have ended in tragedy. Brief but interesting bibliography, including books from several state agencies. (Picture book. 4-9)