The Bear Report

K-Gr 2—Wordless panels show Sophie struggling with her homework. On the following spread, the girl abandons her homework for the TV after she manages to list three "facts" about polar bears: "They are big. They eat things. They are mean." But the page turn brings a giant polar bear right into her living room in a striking spread—"We're not ALL mean." The bear introduces himself and insists on taking Sophie on a personal tour of his home in the Arctic, and then miraculously they are there. Lush watercolor illustrations create a breathtaking setting shown from a variety of perspectives that capture the vastness and beauty of the region. The true details of the place become as fantastic as the fantasy elements of the plot. The bear shows Sophie what he likes to eat (his take on fish sticks) and the music he likes (whale song), and after overcoming a near disaster on a melting iceberg, the two share a last moment together enjoying the Northern Lights. Information about the Arctic is peppered throughout the adventure, and the final wordless spread shows Sophie working feverishly into the night on her school assignment.