The Bear in the Book (review)

A boy falls asleep listening to his mother read aloud his favorite book about a hibernating black bear in this somnolent and cozy meta-narrative. The leisurely pace suits the story’s bedtime setting, as does the quiet voice of the narrative. Banks also ably captures the physical pleasures—touching the edges and pages of a favorite book, looking for hidden details in illustrations, leaning against one’s mother while she reads aloud—of sharing a beloved book together before bed: “The boy held the book. He listened to the sound the pages made when he turned them back and forth. ‘Shh,’ he said to the sleeping bear.” This story may have more resonance for the adult reading it aloud than the child listening to it, but many kids will relate to the familiar delight of hearing a favorite book read to them again and again. Hallensleben’s paintings add further substance and warmth, with their heavy brushstrokes of burnished gold, red, and brown set off by icy blue and white tones that emphasize the cold of the hibernating bear’s story. The snug depiction of the almost stuffed-animal-like black bear asleep in his den and the contrast between the bear’s cold winter and the boy’s warm bed will engage viewers just as it clearly does the protagonist. This would of course make a fine bedtime story; it might also be interesting to use as a catalyst for discussion about the love of books and reading.