Publishers Weekly
In Haseley's (Kite Flier) wistful tale of a bear beguiled by a woman he befriends one summer, inconsistencies render the events more puzzling than haunting. The narrative begins from the bear's point of view, as he first discovers "something lying on the ground," which readers can see is a letter. On the next spread, the narrative voice shifts: "Through the years, the bear looked at the paper with wonder it seemed as far away and mysterious as the moon." Next, the text switches to the main action: the bear observes a woman outside her cabin, carrying something he can describe only as "a mysterious square thing." However, in the next sentence he identifies it: "He [tried] to understand what she was doing as she held the book." The tug-of-war in point of view continues as the woman begins to read aloud to the bear. At the end of her stay, she leaves her books for him (even though he cannot read), and he takes them back to his cave, where they provide him with comfort all winter. LaMarche's (The Raft) shimmering pastel spreads go far to carry the tale over its rough spots. The artwork conveys the bear and the woman in growing intimacy, their heads drawing closer together over the shared books. Nature scenes chronicle the passing of the summer; in the sky behind them, geese fly south, hinting at her departure. Yet LaMarche alone cannot clarify the narrative. Some children may find the magic in this peaceable kingdom, but more will be left outside, wondering what to make of it. Ages 5-8. (Apr.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 2-A young bear finds a piece of paper with black marks on it in the woods and keeps it for several years, wondering about its meaning. One summer, he wanders farther than usual and discovers a cabin in a clearing, and a woman holding a mysterious square thing in her hands. He returns day after day, his curiosity compelling him closer to her. One afternoon, she invites him to sit with her. Thus begins a daily routine of the woman reading aloud to the bear, who cannot understand the words, but is mesmerized by the tones and melodies of her voice. The bear is anthropomorphized, but still a believably realistic wild bear. LaMarche's illustrations, done in warm tones of acrylic and colored pencil on watercolor paper, back up this realistic tone. There are a couple of awkward elements in the plot, the most obvious of which is the letter that begins the story and reappears in the middle but is never explained. However, children are not likely to notice the snags, but will focus instead on the gentle warmth of the story.-Heather E. Miller, Homewood Public Library, AL Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
A tender, if unlikely, episode that affirms the value of both the written and the spoken word. When a bookish young woman, summering alone in a rustic cabin, sees that a curious bear is spying on her, she calmly begins reading aloud. Day after day the bear returns to hear more, not understanding the words, but responding to the feelings and expression in the woman's voice. At summer's end, she leaves her books behind, so the bear carefully carries them to his den, hearing as he sleeps among them, her voice "telling him a tale of adventure, and magic, and love." Reflecting the story's mystical air, LaMarche's (Albert, 2001, etc.) woodland scenes are all hazy edges and diffuse light; his fine-featured, casually dressed reader projects an air of serenity unruffled by the huge, shaggy ursine listener crouching at her feet. Despite the bear's bulk, there's never a hint of tension or danger; instead, Haseley's measured prose and the illustrator's warmly harmonious palette combine to imbue the (seemingly) ordinary act of sharing a book with a deep sense of wonder. And adults willing to look beneath the surface will find a message about the value of reading to preverbal children, too. (Picture book. 6-9)
