The Story of Bear

The Bear is an unwanted Christmas present. So he’s chucked face down into the skip, at the mercy of the rain and cold winds. Passive and long-suffering, he’s still there when two visitors come by – Seagull, who becomes his friend, and Ellie, who tries unsuccessfully to rescue him. Yet there’s worse in store for him when he’s thrown onto the tip where the bulldozers are busy at work. It is only now, with Seagull injured, that he realises that he must act fast to save himself and his friend.

The characters are hugely appealing. In the course of the story, the Bear becomes a real bear, with paws and claws, and changes, movingly, from being passive and introspective to becoming a hero with warmth and emotions. There’s a moral in the story, too, and lessons learned – as Ellie, still haunted by the Bear’s dreadful fate, now knows that unwanted toys can be recycled. As satisfying as the story are the large black and white illustrations with changing perspectives. This is a story to charm young readers.