A Bear Named Bjorn

Description

Bjorn lives in a cave. The walls are soft, the ground is comfortable, and just in front there is new grass and a rough tree, perfect for back-scratching. A Bear Named Bjorn takes us into the forest with Bjorn the bear and his friends. One day the animals have their eye tests and try on the humans' lost spectacles. Another, they just sit, watching the leaves and playing cards on a tree stump. And on party night the animals borrow clothes hanging on the camping ground line-and return everything carefully in the morning, only a little bit used. Bjorn's thoughtful bear logic and small eccentricities are the heart of these mischievous chapters that are by turns contemplative and comical, odes to both nature and "human" nature. Winner of the coveted Pepite des Petits prize 2016 and a White Raven selection 2017.

Delphine Perret is author-illustrator of more than a dozen children's books, translated into several languages. She lives in Lyon, France, where she also co-founded an art gallery.

"French author Perret's tale is serene, moving along languidly like the calming flow of a brook through the woods. Bits of text reside alongside simply wrought thin, black-line illustrations on cool mint-green pages in this graphic-novel hybrid. While the story itself makes for a pleasant read-aloud, the small-scale, unassuming art may better serve independent readers than groups. Children drawn to quieter animal fare imbued with warm humor and accompanied by a gentle nudge toward nature should find kinship here. A meditative tale with a homespun feel, best for thoughtful readers." -- Kirkus Reviews "The simple stories are gentle and occasionally funny, with the expected silliness of animals trying to live in a world where human stuff keeps intruding, such as when bear wins a sofa. Spare line drawings on mint green paper lend the book an air of whimsy." -- Stephanie Tournas, Youth Services Book Reviews