Are You Sad, Little Bear?

It is autumn, and Little Bear’s grandmother has just ‘walked away for ever, as old bears do’. Little Bear is sad; he wants to know why things must change. Mother Bear suggests that he might discover answers in the Wildwood, and off he goes. He meets swallows heading south. Won’t they be sad to leave home, he asks? But, no, they have another home to go to, they reply. Won’t the trees miss their falling leaves? And aren’t the leaves sorry to fall from the tree? But the tree is at its most beautiful in the autumn, and the leaves dance merrily as they fall. On it goes as Little Bear discovers the wonders of the Wildwood and that the living things accept death and life-cycles and new birth. Even the sun and the moon seem to go away: ‘Just because you can’t see me, it doesn’t mean I’m not there.’ Back in the cave with his mother, Little Bear feels that they and Grandmother Bear are ‘shining in the Great Heart that holds everything for always’ and is comforted. Gently philosophical and full of autumn colour, this story combining nature with a subtle Christian message is lyrical in both text and illustration. The cover has a soft, padded feel that chimes well with Little Bear’s tender musings.