Bear in Love was written by Daniel Pinkwater and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. It was published by Candlewick Press in 2012.
A bear wakes up to receive a carrot. That carrot multiplies day after day. The bear leaves honey for this mysterious gift giver. Presents are exchanged until the bear finally meets his secret friend.
Candlewick Press makes good quality books (I’m talking about the materials used to make these books). The paper quality is quite thick and will last for a long time.
In Bear in Love the bear does quite a bit of singing. I was having problems with the “yum yum yum” line... maybe there should be a website for this book that would teach people how to sing bear’s songs.
This story is fairly long for a picture book. I was a bit surprised that bear would grab some chocolate from a garbage can... I was wondering why the mystery friend finally appears. I would think that this animal would want to stay hidden for the rest of the story but in the end they both enjoy each other’s company.
I do think the illustration are more interesting than the text. The look of the bear is dopey enough to make his antics believable. The backgrounds are nicely created... soft and drawn freely and loosely.
I’m supposing this book is about friendship and being able to exchange gifts. It’s a nice book overall. I’m still wondering about the title of the book... Bear in Love (with food?).
