"One day, Rabbit made an announcement.
"Bear, we are going on an adventure!"
Bear suggested that, instead of going on an
adventure, they could read a book about
adventures. "That way, if anything goes
wrong, we can close the book."
Rabbit looked at her friend and asked,
"Bear, are you scared?""
In this story of a rare kind of friendship, Rabbit is the ringleader for an adventure with her friend Bear. Rabbit is keen; Bear is definitely NOT. Yet, off they go! A map on the endpapers prepares readers for the perils of such an undertaking.
We learn much about each of them in the first two double-page spreads. Bear is 'easily scared', of so many things. Rabbit is the opposite: never scared. As they prepare for their adventure their dialogue shows just how timid a big, brawny bear can be when faced with unwanted experiences. Rabbit is quick to check to see if Bear is scared. Every time the question is asked, Bear has a quick reply.
"I'm not scared, you're scared!"
Their adventure leads first to a small stream, deemed 'deep' by Bear. To prove he isn't scared, Bear moves forward as Rabbit tells him that all will be well. The next obstacle is the dark woods. Once again, Rabbit is reassuring, and wonders if Bear is scared. Instead of putting himself through the terror of making his way through the woods, Bear takes a bus and meets Rabbit on the other side. Poor bear! The mountain ahead has him boarding a train to the airfield where he hires a helicopter to deliver him to the top. Bear would like to go home right then and there. That is not going to happen on Rabbit's watch.
The last part of the adventure involves a rope bridge that offers no hope for Bear to feel safe. When asked if he's scared, he answers with complete honesty.
""YES! Yes, Rabbit, I am scared! I
was scared of the river, and I was
scared of the forest, and I was scared
of the mountain, but I am the most
scared about this long, old, rickety
bridge!"
And with that, Bear turned around
and headed home."
Rabbit continues the journey alone, and gets herself in REAL trouble. Luckily, the bird who has been their constant companion knows exactly what must be done - right now! In that moment, the two friends realize what it means to be both scared and courageous when it comes to love and friendship.
Digital artwork is perfectly matched to the comic text, and offers expressive reactions in all the right places. Just a note: don't miss the back endpapers! Hilarious and heartwarming, young readers will want to hear this story more than once.
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