The Bear Report
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Sophie does not want to do her homework, a research report on polar bears. Bor-ing. They’re big. They eat things. They’re mean. What else is there to say about them anyway? As it turns out, plenty. And when a polar bear named Olafur swoops her away to the Arctic, she soon learns all about the playful bear’s habits and habitat—from glacier mice to the northern lights—and, despite her first reservations, she finds herself not just interested but excited about the Arctic. When the two are swept out to sea on an iceberg, Sophie’s new knowledge and knack for creative thinking pay off in a big way: she calls a whale to their aid! Inspired by her journey, she’s ready to return home and take another swing at her assignment, this time with gusto.
The Bear Report showcases the power of curiosity and imagination to fill any blank canvas, whether it’s an incomplete homework assignment or the Arctic ice.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Faced with a bland homework assignment that requests "three facts about polar bears," a girl named Sophie slumps at a table. She jots that "they are big," "they eat things," and "they are mean," and wanders off to watch TV. Sophie drops the remote in amazement when a life-size polar bear materializes on a chair and announces, "We're not all mean." The bear, Olafur, invites Sophie to the Arctic, and despite her indifference ("I've seen pictures"), a turn of the page transports them to an icy vista of blue and white. In unframed watercolor panels with graceful hand-lettered dialogue, Olafur and Sophie fish with sharp sticks, explore lichen-covered rocks, and watch the aurora borealis. They plunge their heads into the sea to hear whale song and, when their ice floe melts, ride a humpback to shore. Back home, Sophie's uninspired "bear report" expands into an illustrated project on Ursus maritimus. With few words and expansive spreads, Heder (Fraidyzoo) lovingly depicts Sophie's blossoming interest and Olafur's patient guidance, encouraging a passion for the wilderness without directly mentioning environmentalism. Ages 4 8.
