Bear Hug - Hardcover

Laurence Pringle's highly praised books have won many honors, including the 1999 Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award. He lives in West Nyack, New York.

Kate Salley Palmer is the author and illustrator of A Gracious Plenty. She worked as a nationally syndicated political cartoonist and is presently a freelance illustrator.

Kindergarten-Grade 3-The fun-loving family introduced in Pringle's spirited Octopus Hug (Boyds Mills, 1996) is back. Here, Dad takes Jesse and Becky camping. Jesse, the narrator, and his sister wonder whether they will see any bears at Black Bear Lake. The three campers spend the day exploring and admiring the changing scenery and wonderful creatures that live around the sparkling lake. Come evening, they feast on hot dogs and toasted marshmallows by the campfire, and then sit by the shore, watching and listening to their nocturnal neighbors. In the morning, after carefully cleaning up the campsite, Jesse and Becky lament the fact that they didn't see a bear. With a playful roar, Dad reveals that there is one bear at Black Bear Lake after all, and swoops his children into his arms for a warm, loving bear hug. Reminiscent of Robert McCloskey's Time of Wonder (Puffin, 1989) in its celebration of nature, Bear Hug is an atmospheric story that portrays the excitement of a family outing. Palmer's harmonious watercolors perfectly illustrate the changing faces of Black Bear Lake and the changing emotions on the faces of Jesse, Becky, and their father. This appealing selection might be paired with Ashley Wolff's Stella & Roy Go Camping (Dutton, 1999).
Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA
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