The Bear and the Moon

by Matthew Burgess, Catia Chien (Illustrator)

Overview

The Bear and the Moon is a picture book that follows what happens when the gift of a balloon floats into Bear's life.

The two companions embark on a journey—a magical tale that encompasses the joys of friendship and discovery.

This is a gentle book filled with humor, while tackling complex topics like the transcendence of loss and forgiveness.

• Filled with emotive text and radiant illustrations
• Simply told and profoundly felt
• Award winning author-illustrator team

The Bear and the Moon is a compassionate tale that honors the small but profound world of the very young.

This sweet book teaches social and emotional skills to kids, and offers a clever way to soothe some of our most difficult feelings: loss and guilt.

• Just as ideal for gently soothing young readers to sleep as it is for encouraging a contemplative break from an energetic day
• Great for parents, grandparents, and caregivers looking for a beautiful friendship or bedtime story
• Perfect for children ages 3 to 5 years old
• You'll love this book if you love books like Waiting by Kevin Henkes, Emily's Balloon by Komako Sakai, and Stellaluna by Janell Cannon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452181271
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	09/29/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	52
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Matthew Burgess is an assistant professor at Brooklyn College and a poet-in-residence in NYC schools through Teachers & Writers Collaborative. His award-winning first children's book, Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings, was a Junior Library Guild selection and an ALA Notable Children's Book. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Catia Chien was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, and now works in New York, with a view of the East River and an old pencil factory. Her children's book titles include an Ezra Jack Keats Honor winner, Things to Do, and an ALA Schneider Family Book award winner, A Boy and a Jaguar.

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/03/2020

Burgess (Drawing on Walls: A Life of Keith Haring) and Chien (The Town of Turtle) add savor to a simple story with visceral writing and elemental artwork. A red balloon floats toward a young black bear: “It was red as a berry and round like the moon with a long silver string drifting brightly in the breeze.” The bear’s roly-poly body provides a cozy counterpoint to the balloon’s smooth surface. The two engage in a pas de deux—“When he walked, it walked. When he danced, it danced”—until a too-eager bear hug ends the balloon’s short life. The animal is stricken (“Bad bear, he thought. Bad, bad bear”) until comfort arrives from another sky-given orb, which “reached down to him and gently stroked his fur.” Chien creates each spread with a sense of freshness, giving the expressive bear’s world an ancient feel with long horizons and sheets of color. Burgess writes with nimble emotionality; sprightly phrases lead up to the balloon’s demise (“What a wonderful thing! What a squishable, huggable thing!”), and genuine mourning occurs after. Together, the creators deliver an essential message of self-acceptance: “Good bear. Kind bear. Don’t worry, bear.” Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary Studio. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

”Burgess and Chien add savor to a simple story with visceral writing and elemental artwork. . . . Chien creates each spread with a sense of freshness. . . . Burgess writes with nimble emotionality. . . . together, the creators deliver an essential message of self-acceptance”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“In the author’s and illustrator’s expert hands, readers are sure to feel lighter than air and ready for bed. The dreamy spread in which the bear receives his message from the moon is worth a mention all on its own, charming and cheerful as the rest of the book may be, as are velvety lavender endpapers featuring the balloon and the moon. [The Bear and the Moon i]s delightful as a balloon—but with more weight.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Simply told but deep with transcendent truth, The Bear and the Moon demonstrates the value of shared grief and the importance of forgiving ourselves.”—BookPage 

“Burgess’ unassuming language is endearing. . . The pacing is flawless. . . Chien’s hazy, atmospheric illustrations. . . employ playful perspectives. . . [The Bear and the Moon] packs an emotional punch, and not just for preschoolers: it’s about no less than loss, self-forgiveness, and the ways in which memories can serve to mitigate grief.”—The Horn Book Magazine, starred review

“Kids who’ve ever broken a favorite toy will relate to the bear who takes his ‘squishable, huggable’ red balloon (which he thinks is a gift from the moon) everywhere until it pops. His feelings—first determination to fix it, then sadness when he realizes he can’t, and ultimately solace in the memory—are whimsically illustrated through a combination of charcoal, paint, and collage.”—Parents Magazine

“[T]he messaging is sweet. . . and the elegance of Chien’s artwork elevates the story to a steady place of beauty. . . This is a bedtime book to snuggle into.”—Booklist

“In spare, inviting verse, professor/poet Burgess highlights the absorbing power of young friendship, emphasizing that time together is no measure for the depth of the bond. . . . Burgess finds an ideal collaborator Brazilian artist Catia Chien, who lives in New York City and whose mixed-media illustrations imbue every vibrantly swathed, expressive page with resonating emotive range.”—Shelf Awareness for Readers

“Spare text and simple illustration will immerse listeners at story times in this quiet take on love and loss.”—School Library Journal 

From the Publisher

02/01/2021

PreS-K—A simple red balloon provokes joy, shock, sadness, and, ultimately, peace in this tone poem to kinship. The titular bear discovers a red balloon and immediately delights in it. "What a nice thing! What a wonderful thing! /What a squishable, huggable thing!" The balloon becomes a companion, and the bear eats, sleeps, and even sits "on the pot" with it. Then, in a playful moment, the balloon suddenly pops. After a period of denial, the bear falls into depression and self-loathing. Only the majesty of the full moon can help soothe the bear into a peaceful sleep, dancing with its beloved balloon in happy memories. Chien works with a primarily red and blue color palette in her mixed media illustrations. The simplicity of the outlines and colors create some truly lovely spreads, and the little bear is a charmer. Through the bear's expressive face, young children can easily discern and relate to many emotions. VERDICT Spare text and simple illustration will immerse listeners at story times in this quiet take on love and loss.—Jessica Ko, Los Angeles P.L.

School Library Journal

★ 2020-09-23
A playful bear makes an ephemeral friend.

An expressive little black bear befriends something “red as a berry / and round like the moon / with a long silver string” in this sweet story. The bear has large ears, a white nose, and tottering, toddler-ish proportions sure to charm, and his buoyant companion somehow manages to “smile back at him like a friend” through vibrancy alone. The straightforward writing floats through Chien’s soft-textured, multimedia illustrations with heartwarming ease as the pair dance, find honey, and roll down a hill in glowing, abstract landscapes. When the inevitable occurs, as any little one enamored with something as squishable and huggable as a balloon will learn, the bear’s sorrow overcomes him. “Bad bear, / he thought. / Bad, bad bear. // Night fell, / but the bear / skipped his dinner.” The little bear sinks into deep blue spreads, but his grief melts even the heart of the moon, and with a little celestial reassurance, the bear comes to value his good memories, giving the book a satisfying amount of substance. In the author’s and illustrator’s expert hands, readers are sure to feel lighter than air and ready for bed. The dreamy spread in which the bear receives his message from the moon is worth a mention all on its own, charming and cheerful as the rest of the book may be, as are velvety lavender endpapers featuring the balloon and the moon.

As delightful as a balloon—but with more weight. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews