Hodder Children’s Books (www.hodderchildrens.co.uk) ISBN 9781444929317 £9.99
I absolutely loved this book – it is a laugh-out-loud story from page one and the writing and illustration are so wonderfully complimentary that the characters leap to life from the very beginning. It should become a children’s classic and is already much lauded by others well known and admired in the field of children’s literature. Novelist and playwright Julian Gough, who is also a winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, introduces us to Bear and Rabbit who form an unusual and beautiful friendship. Bear wakes up one morning to find that she has had her food stolen – but by whom? As she leaves her cave to investigate, she is faced with a severe snowstorm – the like of which she has never seen because she is usually tucked up hibernating. So, she decides to make the best of the situation whilst thinking about how to get more food – and begins to make a snowman. The character of Bear and her uplifting positivity is wonderfully and humorously in contrast to Rabbit, who we discover later in the story is responsible for the mysterious food theft. Rabbit is brilliantly unsympathetic at first to Bear’s plight, but as they are drawn together by weather and threat (when Wolf makes an appearance) a comradeship and bond develops. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to make children crease with delight and laughter, it is a fantastic ‘next step’ from the traditional picture book and will enthuse all levels to read through to the very end!
Laura Davies, Project Development Coordinator for Fair Foundations, Chwarae Teg
