James Skofield's and Jennifer Thermes' Bear and Bird is a (very nicely) illustrated children's book, describing as one might easily infer the friendship between a wild bear and a bird (while not identified as such in the text, the illustrations clearly portray a robin).
The book describes the mutual aid that each animal provided the other to begin and build the friendship, and how that companionship grew despite nature's conflicting methods of dealing with winter migration and hibernation. It also shows how nature has its own agenda, and as such could help younger readers deal with loss.
Trying to put my inner child hat on, I believe this story does work at that level, and will appeal to early primary grade readers. (As usual, I will pass this along to my grandchildren; if they provide any additional feedback whether supporting or contradictory, I will update this text accordingly.)
RATING: After some internal debate 4 1/2 stars, rounded up to 5 stars. This book does what it set out to do quite nicely and it stayed with me after I'd finished it in a nutshell, my criteria for 5-stardom.
DISCLOSURE: I won this book in an online contest. An honest review was requested but was not made a condition of acceptance.
The book describes the mutual aid that each animal provided the other to begin and build the friendship, and how that companionship grew despite nature's conflicting methods of dealing with winter migration and hibernation. It also shows how nature has its own agenda, and as such could help younger readers deal with loss.
Trying to put my inner child hat on, I believe this story does work at that level, and will appeal to early primary grade readers. (As usual, I will pass this along to my grandchildren; if they provide any additional feedback whether supporting or contradictory, I will update this text accordingly.)
RATING: After some internal debate 4 1/2 stars, rounded up to 5 stars. This book does what it set out to do quite nicely and it stayed with me after I'd finished it in a nutshell, my criteria for 5-stardom.
DISCLOSURE: I won this book in an online contest. An honest review was requested but was not made a condition of acceptance.
