Letters from Bear

PreS-Gr 2–Written in a series of letters, this enchanting book blends adventure and friendship with a dreamy dose of Alice in Wonderland–esque happenings. Bird has headed south for the winter, and Bear, who just can’t seem to face their separation or hunker down to hibernate, decides to venture join Bird “on the other side of the world.” In a series of missives to be delivered by the wind, the intrepid traveler relates numerous exploits further illuminated by the detailed illustrations: Bear encounters huge tracks in a dark forest where menacing shadow figures shimmer in the background, is snagged in a fishing net and saved by a spell-casting mermaid, stumbles into a ghostly battlefield filled with sword-wielding warriors and neighing horses, attends a birthday party with all manner of creatures dressed in costume, crosses the sea in a hollowed-out tree trunk, and much more. Finally reaching Bird’s tropical island, Bear discovers that his just-as-lonely friend has already headed back north, and makes return travel arrangements as dazzling as the rest of the escapades.