Brown Bears, written by Dr. Nick Compton and illustrated by Colleen Larmour. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2024. $24.99 ages 4 and up

 

"Sometimes the bears' noses lead them toward
the wonderful smelling food that people have 
thrown away. It's hard to stay away from these 
smells, but it's dangerous to stay here for long.
This used to be the bears' land, but now people 
don't want them near their homes. 

Brown bears have a better sense of smell that both dogs
and cats. Some smells, like licorice, peanut butter and 
even toothpaste are irresistible to bears and can 
attract them to places like campsites."

Zoologist Nick Crumpton is well-known for his children's books about the natural world. In this new book, he takes a careful look at the Alaskan brown bear; a mother and her two cubs. Spring is in the air, and the mother awakens after giving birth to two tiny cubs during her winter sleep. The cubs are only weeks old, and they have much to learn about the world that surrounds them. 

Readers will love to pore over Colleen Larmour's mixed-media images that place the three bears firmly in their northern environment. Realistic and appealing, they offer readers a close encounter with the playful, yet watchful, cubs and their family dynamics. The cubs follow their mother's lead as they practice all they will need to know to survive: using their sharp claws to climb trees, leaving their scent to let other bears know they have been there, scratching at the bugs that cling to their skin, and searching out food sources. 

Through the seasons, they continue to watch and imitate their mother, eating berries and nuts to try to satiate their big appetites. 

"In the fall, adult brown bears can eat around 90 pounds 
(40 kilograms) of food in one day to prepare for hibernation. 
That's the same weight as an average twelve-year-old child!
That gives the bears a huge layer of fat more than 4 inches 
(10 centimeters) thick under their skin." 

With winter's approach, the mother prepares a den for the three to sleep through the long season. They  emerge hungry and ready for action when spring arrives once more. Only then does the author introduce the arrival of a huge, hungry male who is intent on making those cubs a meal. A mother's instinct is to protect against all danger; she musters up all of her power and ferocity to scare him off. 

Using two text types broadens the scope of this excellent piece of nonfiction. The narrative text tells the bears' story for younger readers, while the addition of the smaller, factual text invites older readers to find pertinent learning beyond the storytelling. It's a terrific book to read aloud with one or more listeners.

Back matter is helpful.