Title: Bear Out There
Author: Jacob Grant
Illustrator: Jacob Grant
Publication date: 4 June 2019
The Story:
Bear and Spider are great friends, but they have very different ideas about how to spend the perfect day. Bear loves being at home, in his lovely tidy house with a nice cup of tea. While Spider loves being outside. When Spider’s kite flies away, Bear steps up for his friend and goes with him to look for the kite in the forest. But neither of them could have imagined quite how awful Bear would find being outdoors. Will they have to give up on finding the kite and go home? Or will they discover friendship is about being there for each other, no matter what?
Favourite Spread:
Jacob’s illustrations are brilliant and add another layer of depth to the characters of Bear and Spider.
As a child, I was very much Team Bear when it came to how to spend the perfect day. So I really felt for Bear as he trudged through the forest for his friend.
And many of my friends would recognise me in this spread of Bear!
Jacob tells a wonderful story of two good friends but there are also some beautiful underlying messages to be found, often on the spreads with only a few words. This was my favourite, the kite being the perfect metaphor.
The Verdict:
I loved the message of this book. We don’t all have to be the same, or enjoy the same things, to be friends. But friendship does mean sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone to help someone you care about, as well as finding some common ground. Whether the reader is more like Bear or Spider, this story will feel relateable, which is part of its brilliance. Also, the ending of this book is simply perfect!
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books
ISBN: 978 1526607416
I am very grateful to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. This voluntary review contains my honest opinion.
Picture Book Perfect 
Nice!
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