ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
PRESCHOOL
Angeli, May

The Bear and the Duck

32 pp. | Eerdmans | October, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-0-8028-5555-8 $17.99
(2) PS It is the end of winter. With a running start, Duck attempts to take flight but crashes and injures himself. This racket wakes Bear from hibernation; Bear gently carries Duck to his den and feeds him. As Duck heals, the two spend time together, Bear admiring Duck's stories of life out in the world. When Duck is able to fly again, he leaves, promising to return. Bear mourns his friend's absence, saying to himself, "I guess that's life, as they say when sad things happen." The next year, after Bear wakes from a long winter's sleep, a happy reunion occurs: "Get up, old Bear!" says Duck. 'I'm back!" This French import is an intergenerational story, albeit a furry and feathery kind: Bear describes himself as "far too old," and Duck has the vim and vigor of a youngster. The text is filled with sensory delights ("The first buds were bursting, and from the last patches of snow, the violets' perfume filled the air") as well as moments of humor ("Come any closer and I'll break your head!" Duck threatens Bear when they first meet). The wood engravings that adorn each page are intricate and deliciously textured. The colors both brighten and soften as spring comes and the friendship between Bear and Duck deepens; this subtle shift in palette heightens the book's emotional impact. An affectionate story of an unexpected friendship.
Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

RELATED 

PRESCHOOL

The Farmer and the Circus
by Frazee, Marla
PRESCHOOL

Bird House
by Gómez, Blanca
PRESCHOOL

The Crow and the Peacock
by Fernihough, Jo
PRESCHOOL

Something's Wrong!
by John, Jory
PRESCHOOL

Grandpa Across the Ocean
by Yum, Hyewon
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?