The Bear Who Wasn't There

Starred review from July 18, 2016
In songwriter Lavie’s debut, originally published in Germany, Bear’s search for himself doesn’t matter so much as the charm of Lavie’s storytelling voice as he narrates it. Bear materializes, improbably, from an itch that grows as it scratches itself. In his fur he discovers a pocket with a note inside. “Are you me?” it reads. “Helpful clues to look for: 1. I am a very nice bear. 2. I am a happy bear. 3. Very handsome too.” Erlbruch (The King and the Sea) gives the bear big, puzzled-looking eyes and a lovable grin. He lives in a forest made of ornate trees seemingly lifted from vintage engravings, whose delicate lines play off Bear’s dumpy figure. Bear’s encounters with various characters—the Turtle Taxi, the Penultimate Penguin—feature gentle wordplay and Lewis Carroll–like paradoxes. “There are exactly Beautiful flowers around the tree,” Bear concludes after counting flowers with the penguin. “Beautiful is not a number,” the penguin retorts. “Oh, but I just counted,” Bear says. Everything is new to Bear, and his discoveries will delight readers. Ages 3–7. Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

A text-heavy picture book presents an existential quandary......but it can't seem to decide whether or not it would really rather be a nonsensical one. As this book was originally published in German, perhaps something was lost in (the uncredited) translation? The titular Bear who wasn't there suddenly is there after an Itch scratches itself on a tree and becomes a bear. The Bear then discovers a pocket in its fur and a list of clues below the question "ARE YOU ME?" and ventures off to see if it is indeed "A VERY NICE BEAR...A HAPPY BEAR...VERY HANDSOME TOO." Encounters with various animals in the Fabulous Forest eventually lead the Bear to conclude that he is both very nice and happy, but he's still not sure about the handsome part. Eventually he ends up at a house with a sign on the door reading "HOME OF THE BEAR WHO WASN'T THERE (please enter quietly, he may be asleep)." Once inside, the Bear sees his reflection in the mirror and decides that, yes, he is handsome too. Throughout, Erlbruch's playful, distinctive illustrations outshine the text and offer ample visual interest, which may help readers sustain interest despite the rambling and often confusing text. The picture book as a whole isn't quite all there, but the pictures are sublime. (Picture book. 4-8) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2016

Gr 1-3-In this large-format existentialist meander by Israeli author and musician Lavie, a bear starts off as an itch that is scratched against a tree until it grows to its full size and is covered in fur. The bear then journeys through a forest, meeting improbable characters as he seeks an answer to the question, "Are you me?" Three clues he finds in his pocket drive him to interact with the Penultimate Penguin, Convenience Cow, Lazy Lizard, and Turtle Taxi. The volume is filled with surreal gags about prepositions and adverbs, cheerful absurdity, and down the rabbit hole-style musings. Its length makes it unlikely to hold the attention of younger children. The illustrations, by renowned German artist Erlbruch, are a combination of digitally pixelated backgrounds, rubber stamps of flora, and heavily textured animals. VERDICT An artsy and unusual picture book for a very select crew of older readers. An additional purchase.-Lisa Nowlain, Darien Library, CT

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