Brown Bears

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Publisher
Age Range
4+
Release Date
September 03, 2024
ISBN
978-1536238778
Buy This Book
      
Follow two Alaskan cubs through their first year—and learn what it takes for a cub to become a bear—in this engaging picture book written by a noted zoologist.

Through a carpet of pine needles and a small hill of moss, twigs, and soil, three shiny black noses push up into the crisp air.

Spring has arrived in Alaska, and after spending many months hibernating, a brown bear is waking up. She was alone when she fell asleep at the start of winter, but now she is climbing out of her den with a pair of cubs to protect and nurture. As they grow, she will have to teach them how to survive in the wilderness, from climbing trees to foraging berries and nuts to snatching salmon out of the river. Despite their sharp teeth and long claws, grizzly bears’ lives aren’t so simple, and one day these young bears will be on their own. The lyrical text is beautifully illustrated and threaded through with fascinating facts, while an author’s note at the end offers more about brown bears for curious readers.

Editor review

1 review
Bear Cubs' First Two Years
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
3.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
5.0
After going into her den for the winter to hibernate, a mother bear emerges with two small bear cubs in the spring. They must learn how to find food, leave their scent for other bears, and scratch off bugs, all foundational activities that will serve them well in their lives but also help them grow stronger as cubs. When fall arrives, the cubs and the mother eat as much as they can so that they can once again hibernate. The mother builds another den, and the three settle in for another winter. When the emerge, they must find food, and sometimes must contend with male bears who might find the cubs to be a tasty snack! The small family stays together for the summer, growing and picking up more skills, but in the fall, the cubs will need to start life on their own.

Good Points
This reminded me a bit of a Little Golden Book about a litter of puppies that my children had years ago; there's lots of information, often in italics at the bottoms of the pages, but also a charming story that takes us through the first few years of the cubs' lives. There is a note from the author in the back, as well as a map of where brown bears can be found. There is even a very short index, which is somewhat unusual in a picture book.

The real draw here is Lamour's illustration. While this employs mostly brown, green, and tan, there are some touches of red that really pop. The bears are very solidly colored and have adorable expressions on their faces, but the backgrounds are very dreamy and translucent. The page with the bears eating berries could be framed and hung in a forest themed nursery!

Crumpton is also the author of Everything You Know About Sharks is Wrong and Everything You Know About Dinosaurs is Wrong, as well as How to Chat Chicken, Gossip Gorilla, Babble Bee, Gab Gecko, and Talk in 66 Other Animal Languages. This is a shorter book, and much more accessible to younger readers as a read aloud. Having read it, I sort of want to hunt down similar picture books on lions, giraffes, and tigers to assemble a whole zoo of animal picture books!
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