No bears by Meg McKinlay and Leila Rudge (illustrator)
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 978 1 921529924.
(Ages: 6+) Picture book. Recommended. Ruby intends to make a book, but
she insists it cannot have bears in it. She tells us she is sick of
bears being in every books she reads, and goes on to list the things
which make a good story. There should be a princess, a monster, a
castle along with something scary, funny and exciting. So she sets out
to tell such a story, making a book as she goes. Each page shows a
spiral bound book with the story containing all the elements she likes
involved. Her precept that there be no bears is followed in her tale,
but a smartly dressed bear keeps peeping in around the edges of the
book as the story proceeds. The story itself is humerous and will
engage the readers till the end but they will also find humour in the
drawings of the bear and its attempts to be involved in the tale.
In the background on each page readers will find some of the characters
from fairy stories that they know, and so this will further engage
their interest. The delightful illustrations often show some of the
tools of the illustrator's trade, as pots of pencils and pens, ink and
paint appear, alongside the spiral bound book, and this is repeated in
the end covers.
A lovely tale to elicit interest and engagement, the story could well
be used to introduce what makes up a story, or develop interest in
fairy stories, or simply to show what fun can be had from a well
written story, ably augmented by glorious illustrations.
Fran Knight