A bear and a tree by Stephen Michael King
Penguin, 2012. ISBN 9780670075829.
(Age: 4+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Friendship. Change. When
Ren is upset that her loved tree has lost all of its leaves, Bear
stops collecting the leaves for his den for the winter, and sits
with her until she is calmer. They then spend the day together, Bear
answering Ren's questions about the snow as best as he can. They
play together in the snow, looking at the patterns in the snow, the
icicles and simply dancing. They meet Mouse who is waiting for the
night so that he can catch the first winter stars. They spend the
night watching the stars, and when morning comes, Bear realises that
he must sleep. He attaches some of the leaves he has collected to
the tree, adding some of the things they have made together and goes
to his den to sleep.
A tale of friendship and change, this story is seemingly simple, but
has many layers to reveal as it is read and reread. The idea of
change permeates the book, from the leafless tree, to Bear needing
to sleep, so leaving his friend, to the change in the patterning of
the sky, to the increasingly cold landscape. The blue and white of
the pages, the lack of leaves on all the trees, the change from
rainy landscape to one covered in snow, all point to the fact that
Bear must soon retire to bed.
For parents and teachers simply looking at weather patterns and
seasonal changes then this is a wonderful introduction, and for
those wanting to look at friendship and change, then this book will
provide a masterful springboard.
Fran Knight