*Review* Books Aren't for Bears by Mark Barry

 

Genre: Children's 3-7 years

Published: August 1, 2023

Pages: 32

When Bear finds a book in the woods, his world is changed. His friend Owl teaches him to read, and Bear wants more! Bear decides the city will offer him what he's looking for, but when he reaches the busy streets, he's sad to discover that some people think that "Books aren't for bears!" Can Bear find a place where books are for everybody?

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a story about a bear who is quite content with his life, until one day he finds a book, and like everyone who discovers a love for reading, he is not content with just one book! So he starts searching high and low for more books, but never finds any more. One day he finds a bicycle and wants to return it to its rightful owner, so he heads off into the city on the bike so he can return it and hopefully find more books. He finds a school and stops in hoping to find not only the owner of the bike but also more books, but he is told by a teacher that books aren't for bears. He leaves the bike behind as he continues his search for more books. At a bookshop he is also told that books aren't for bears. He's getting very sad and is about ready to head back to his home in the forest when he finds a library. He reminds himself that books aren't for bears, when the librarian invites him in (because librarians are amazing) and tells him that reading is for everyone. 

The illustrations were very bright with bold colors and solid lines, showing the characters, particularly the animals, in a humanized way. I would definitely read this story to children more than once because the message is amazing and one that I wholeheartedly agree with because reading IS for everyone, they just need to find the right stories for them. Although I was a bit disappointed that the teacher and the bookseller discouraged Bear from reading. Overall I give this book 4.78 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Having worked in children's publishing for over thirty years as a both a designer and art director, Mark Barry can't resist the desire to write sometimes. Mark is a regular speaker at universities and illustration events. He lives in a small town in the South of England with his wife and two rapidly growing boys. When not at work or trying to improve as a writer, he can be found walking in woods with his dog Pip.