Review - Big Bear Hug

Big Bear Hug (Life in the Wild)
by Nicholas Oldland
Date: 2006
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

An environmental fable that illustrates the awesome power of a hug.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Our library has a bunch of e-books from this series, so I thought I'd give one a try. This is actually a really cute story about a bear who loves to hug. But when he encounters a human who wants to chop down one of his beloved trees, suddenly he doesn't feel much like hugging anymore.

The story is simple and kind of goofy, with the bear going around hugging all sorts of critters to show his love. His favourite things to hug, though, are trees. One day, he sees a human enter the woods. He follows the man until he comes to one of the biggest trees in the forest. The man stares at the tree for so long that the bear think he must love trees, too. But then, to the bear's horror, the man takes out an axe and starts chopping. Let's just say, don't cross an environmentalist bear.

Actually, the story then takes an unexpected turn, and the bear demonstrates some pretty admirable behaviour (perhaps to show how the wisdom of nature can often be superior to our own selfish, short-sighted thinking). The resolution is nonsensical, but so is the idea of a bear going around hugging his traditional foodstuffs.

I think I need to try some of the other books in this series. If they're as cute as this one, then I'll probably enjoy them, too.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.83 out of 5