Willa and the Bear

PreS-Gr 1—During a nighttime sleigh ride to visit her grandparents, young Willa discovers an unknown friend, an ursine guardian who protects her dearest possession—a small rag doll handmade by her Grandma Bibbie. The winter setting in a northern forest features a variety of illustration sizes, including small portrait views of Willa's happy play, a tunnel view of the snowy trail ahead between the ears of a horse, and larger full-page or spread views with varying perspective. Shadows and light illuminate human emotions, the love of family, or the emptiness of a dark and vast forest. Willa suddenly loses her doll with an unfortunate bounce of the sled. But she has an unexpected follower: a large black bear, fascinated by the doll and the little girl who lost it. A nighttime visit, beautifully painted watercolor and acrylics, the softness of snow lightly touched by the soft blue of paw prints, a child's emotions, and the love surrounding family and a not-so-wild animal visitor create a sweet tale for the very young told with the immediacy of present tense.