Gugulu, The Little Bear Dares

‘Gugulu: The Little Bear Dares,’ written by Srividhya Lakshmanan and illustrated by Akansha Krishnan, tells the story of Gugulu, a sloth bear who just wants to go to school all by himself, but his mom and dad want to keep him safe by traveling with him. When he dares to head out on his own instead of following their lead, he finds himself encountering a variety of creatures, from a macaque to a leopard to a herd of gaurs, along with a panther, a snake, an elephant, and many more. He learns that being on his own isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when he finds himself in the water, unable to get out without help, worrying about which creature is going to catch him if he can’t escape on his own. The only part of it all that calms him even a bit is seeing his parents trying to get to him. Before long, he finds himself thrilled and comforted to be back with them.

It's true of so many kids that they want to try to do things on their own, only to find that sometimes the ease of having someone, such as their parents, to help, can be more comforting than anything else. Learning independence is quite important, but knowing when and how to use that independence is another important aspect of life, and Gugulu is still learning that lesson.

The rhymes in the story make it more interesting to read, and the illustrations are beautifully endearing. The pictures of all of the animals in the back of the book with brief explanations about them make the story even more appealing. Gugulu’s daring nature will engage young readers and make them curious about just what he might do next.