Welcome Home, Bear: A Book of Animal Habitats

PreS-Gr 1—Na's books cover topics of great interest to young children: babies, bedtime, seasons. Here, he explores the conundrum surrounding home—whether to select the stimulation of the new or the comfort of familiarity. As the story opens, Bear is bored with "the same green forest under the same blue sky." His subsequent globetrotting provides viewers with glimpses at the variety of animal habitats. But Bird's nest is too high, and Mole's tunnels are too stuffy. While this plot is familiar to adults, even they will want to revisit these pages. Na combines handmade and digital processes to create exciting layers of color, texture, and pattern. His polar bear is not white but a subtle building of unexpected hues and designs. Contrast adds interest, as when the blistering yellow of the desert sands (under the pink camel!) yields to the refreshing blue-greens of the rainforest. The artist plays with perspective—showing the dizzying vertical drop from Goat's cliffside home—and effect, as the ink from the surprised octopus spreads through the underwater world to cover Bear's face. Even the text is in motion, following the curve of the tree or descent of the raindrops. The discomfort on Bear's face is comical as he experiences each new indignity, but as the shadows lengthen, he "[knows] just where he [wants]to be." Respecting his audience, Na allows readers to name that place and draw their own conclusions.