A bear named Bjorn by Delphine Perret
Translated by Antony Shugaar. Gecko Press, 2020. ISBN:
9781776572694. eBook available.
(Ages 6 -8). Recommended. A thoughtful, whimsical story that follows
the daily adventures of a Bear, Bjorn, who lives quietly in a cave.
It is a mixture of animal and human adventures as each of the six
chapters reveals another escapade involving the bear and his other
animal friends. He wins a sofa and decides to leave it in a part of
the forest for everyone to use as it just doesn't really fit into
his cave very well. In another chapter his friend the fox helps him
to organize a fun carnival where all his friends borrow clothes and
wear adornments to celebrate and reflect what they see humans
wearing in clothing catalogues. Later he gets his annual check-up
with the very popular Owl who checks them thoroughly from top to
toe. The chapter called 'Nothing' was weirdly appropriate to
illustrate to a young child that it is okay to just sit and
appreciate the simple things around us, especially during the
restrictions on outdoor entertainment as we self-isolate for Covid
19. It was also interesting to be given an insight into the
processes that the bear took to prepare for hibernation in the last
chapter.
All these adventures are beautifully illustrated using black line
drawings and the book has been published on calming mint-green
pages. Best enjoyed by young independent readers or one to one
reading at home where the illustrations can be enjoyed along with
the story. Themes: Bears, Forests, Friendship.
Gabrielle Anderson