Big Bear Hug

by Nicholas Oldland, Nicholas Oldland (Illustrator)

Overview

A huge bear is wandering through the forest - but wait a minute! Who's that he's hugging? A beaver? And a moose? And a bird? And a tree?

Welcome to the world of Big Bear Hug, a contemporary fable about a bear who has an appetite for hugging everything in sight - even creatures that bears have been known to eat. One day, the benevolent bear meets up with a human. This human proceeds to do something the bear cannot understand: he raises his axe and begins to cut down a tree. Suddenly the bear doesn't feel like hugging anymore and must make a difficult decision on how to stop this destruction in his forest.

The environmental message of Big Bear Hug is both funny and powerful, while simple enough to engage very young children and show them the awesome power of a hug.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771381512
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	08/01/2014
Series:	Life in the Wild Series , #1
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 8.02(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Nicholas Oldland earned a degree in fine arts at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada, and enjoyed success as a commercial artist and filmmaker before taking up the role of creative director at Hatley/Little Blue House, a popular apparel company. He lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his family.

Nicholas Oldland earned a degree in fine arts at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada, and enjoyed success as a commercial artist and filmmaker before taking up the role of creative director at Hatley/Little Blue House, a popular apparel company. He lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his family.

Editorial Reviews

... an attractive and appealing book.— Quill & Quire

This debut is a treat for the tree hugger in all of us.— Kirkus Reviews

Oldland's rustic-styled digital artwork looks like a hip flannel pajama print ... and his pictures play sly comic foil to the earnest text.— Publishers Weekly

... the book's quick humor makes it easy to embrace.— School Library Journal

From the Publisher

... an attractive and appealing book.

Quill &Quire

A big black bear is so full of love and happiness that he hugs every living thing he encounters: "No animal was too big . . . / Too small . . . / Too smelly . . . / Or too scary to hug." His favorite things to hug, however, are trees of all types and sizes. One day he sees a big man with an axe staring at a stately tree. At first black bear thinks the man loves trees as much as he does. When black bear realizes the man's intention, he tries to attack; but he can't. Instead " . . . he decided to do what he did best"-that is, hug-with predictable (and entirely acceptable) results. Canadian commercial artist Oldland's full-bleed and spot illustrations created in Photoshop have the look of woodcut prints except for the woodsman, who stands out from nature because of his heavy black outline. The startled animals on the receiving end of the Little Orphan Annie-eyed black bear's hugs will incite giggles. This debut is a treat for the tree hugger in all of us. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews