go camping on a
beautiful day.
A bear cub and his
mama are not too
far away.
When they meet
unexpectedly, all
four are afraid.
Parallel stories have such appeal for observant little ones. When encouraged to take a close look, they often find details that the adults sharing the book don't see. The nine words written here are essential to the meaning of the book itself, while spare.
The forest setting is introduced on the endpapers. The title page shows a loaded truck, bicycle on the roof, and a quiet road sporting a campground sign. Then, wow! A full page spread that offers up all the information the reader needs. A campsite being set up in the foreground; tent, picnic table, cooler, radio, lantern, badminton set, soccer ball, unloaded truck but for the bicycle, a mother and child hard at work to get things done. Surrounded by forest, it is no surprise to see a mother bear and her cub ambling in the far background. Little ones will also take note of the refuse container often seen in camp settings.
The child is 'a little scared' to jump from a tree branch into the lake and his mother's arms. In a parallel view, the little bear is 'a little scared' to jump from his branch to the garbage bin that is sooo close. The campers eat; the bear partakes of the goodies to be found inside the dumpster.
Tasked to dispose of their garbage, the boy bikes to that dumpster. He is 'very scared' when he sees the mother bear, just as the little bear is 'very scared' when he realizes he cannot get out of the garbage bin. But, Mama bears are mama bears, ursine or human. The solution is perfect, as is this quiet and engaging book.
Appealing, colorful artwork done in paper collage sets the tone for a most enjoyable read. The details and hints presented will delight little ones who like to anticipate what might happen next. The quiet ending is lovely.
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