By Matthew Cordell (author)
"A beautifully told adventure exploring grief and recovery"
Paperback In Stock £7.99 £7.19
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Matthew Cordell’s new picture book is outstanding, an exploration of grief, loss and recovery, that will touch readers of all ages. A few wordless spreads show all that Charlie the dog meant to Louise, and how sad she is that he’s died. Rowing out to an island in the lake next to their home, Louise encounters a bear, and recognises in it a familiar sadness.
After a rocky start, the two become friends and days become better, for both. As time passes, the pain of grief fades and the island changes too, illustrations moving imperceptibly from sepia into colour. When winter arrives, the bear hibernates and Louise is furious again at the unfairness that means things we love must end, before realising that sometimes the end is a beginning.
The story could end there with the arrival of a new puppy, but there are a couple of pages of postscript. Louise rows back out to the island with her puppy, but now there’s no sign of the bear – did he ever exist at all? The story is beautifully told with not a word or image out of place, an adventure full of bravery and truth that every child should read.
Louise and her family are sad after their beloved dog Charlie dies. Life will not be the same, Louise says, as she visits a little island that Charlie loved. But on the island, something strange happens: she meets a bear who teaches her that getting over a bereavement takes time and that sometimes, things can change for the better.
Cordell speaks eloquently and respectfully to the universal experience of loss and recovery. - New York Times
In a story that respects grief's slow pace, Cordell's writing and artwork together carry grace and heart. - Publishers Weekly, starred review
A poetically beautiful story of grief and healing mirrored in the natural world has a touch of magical realism as a young girl processes her emotions and realizes that endings lead to beginnings. - School Library Journal
Grief can be particularly difficult to address with young children, and Cordell wisely eschews the platitudes often associated with this emotion, choosing instead to demonstrate the healing powers of nature and time. - Booklist
Provides youngsters with a talking point for their feelings about bereavement, and the depiction of a summer of adjustment to life without the loved one is sympathetic and patient. (Recommended.) - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Matthew Cordell is the Caldecott award-winning author and illustrator of Wolf in the Snow, Trouble Gum, Another Brother, hello! hello!, and Wish. He has illustrated numerous books by renowned authors including Philip Stead (Special Delivery), Rachel Vail (the Justin Case series), and Gail Carson Levine (Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems). He lives with his family in Gurnee, Illinois.
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Louise and her family are sad after their beloved dog Charlie dies. Life will not be the same, Louise says, as she visits a little island that Charlie loved.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Bear Island and determined it is suitable for children aged 3-6 years old
Bear Island features in the following genres: Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Featured Books for 5+ readers, Recommendations, PSHE: Bereavement and Grief, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Animal Stories, Featured Books for 3+ readers
Paperback, Hardback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
Bear Island was written by Matthew Cordell and published by Andersen Press
Bear Island has 48 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
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