"'That's Jack the Bear,' said Brainy Owl. 'Oh? And what's he doing?' Nosy Fox was, well, nosy. 'He's making the world a better place,' replied Brainy Owl. 'Really?' Nosy Fox smirked. 'He looks like he's just sitting in the shade with a jar of honey.'"
I love the simple message of this lovely, warm book. We CAN all make a difference in someone else's day...we just need to know that we can. My good friend Val and I were just talking about the same thing the other day. There are so many times in our day when a little smile (or sometimes a persistent one) can make another person's day better! It takes so little effort.
The animals in this book are somewhat grumpy and quite opinionated about Jack's place in the world. They wonder how sitting, smiling and handing out honey can really make the world a better place. After all, isn't that what kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers are meant to do? It seems that Jack can help them, and he can help scientists, peace prize winners and even philosophers when they haven't enough time or energy to meet all the needs of the world. How does Jack Bear do it??? He smiles! Have you got one of those hidden away. Try it on everyone you meet today, and see if you can make the world a better place. I am going to try to do just that.
The author adds a note about her artwork which states: 'The illustrations in this book were done on recycled paper shopping bags. I used watercolor, crayon, and almost every ballpoint pen, marker, and pencil I could find in my desk's untidy drawers.' They work brilliantly to give this book its glowing warm feeling.
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