Big Bear Hug

October 5, 2009
Recast Ferdinand the bull as a bear living in the North Woods, with hugs filling in for flower sniffing—that’s a workable summation of this debut effort. While the ursine hero may look like a hulking beast, he’s actually “so filled with love and happiness” that he gives out hugs wherever he goes—whether the recipient asked for one or not (“He even hugged creatures that bears have been known to eat”). And even more than hugging animals, the bear loves to hug trees. But when a woodsman threatens “one of the tallest, oldest, and most beautiful trees in the forest,” will the bear revert to type? Oldland’s rustic-styled digital artwork looks like a hip flannel pajama print (which is probably no coincidence, given that he’s creative director at an apparel company), and his pictures play sly comic foil to the earnest text. Ages 3–7.

October 1, 2009
K-Gr 2-"There once was a bear so filled with love and happiness that whenever he roamed the forest and came across another living thing, he would give it a hug." The joke follows when a page turn reveals a shocked and terrified bunny caught up in his big arms. The sweet but deadpan text paired with the almost slapstick cartoon art makes for an entertaining conservation story. This large, lovable, dopey-looking bear loves hugging treesall kinds of treesmost of all. When he observes a man staring up at one, he thinks he has found a kindred spirituntil the man takes a swing with his axe. The completely enraged animal must then find a way to stay true to himself and save the tree. Flat illustrations done in Photoshop feature simple shapes in blues, greens, and browns with plenty of white space. While ultimately the message here is a little heavy-handed, the book's quick humor makes it easy to embrace."Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.