Together

A startlingly cold cover introduces us to two very friendly looking polar bears. There is a deep intelligence in their eyes as they hold our gaze. With the title in deep silver, the whole cover is spotted with stars and a crescent moon hangs in the sky. The endpapers are delightful, demanding a good search before entering the story. Each of the ten vignettes shows an adult bear with a cub, embarking on all sorts of activities… together. From the beginning, the gentle rhyming text persuades us readers that here is safety, despite the vast Arctic sky, the ice-bound lands that seem to go on and on for ever. As the pair wander… and wonder, we share their delight in the warmth of the sun, which creates beautiful statuesque images as icebergs drip. Night -time brings its own pleasures, gazing at the stars, talking of Pluto, Venus and Mars. ‘Together we laugh and we sing and we play… enjoying togetherness every day!’ Finally, big bear assures little bear they will never part, always be together. Whilst this (we know) may well not be the case, the reassurance is a beautiful moment between the two characters. Every page is full to the brim with Fuge’s illustrations, showing kindness, joy, companionship, love, a wonder at their world, and the thrill of togetherness. Awe and WONDER!! After this year of unprecedented difficulties for so very many families all over the world, where many folk have been unable to see their loved ones, unable to share the reality of a real hug and laughter, togetherness, this book strikes such a welcome note. The sharing of books with children can surely never have been of such importance, able as it is to affect the attitudes and emotions and well-beings of the sharers. Happy reading.