Love Is in the Bear

K-Gr 3–A visual feast, this book is a dreamy ode to love and friendship. The tale of Bear, who wants to sing opera with Bird, is told in a dappled forest, layers of color and light tumbling over each other in watercolor-styled cool tones. The translucent spots and fades between shades are a magical background for these adorable woodland creatures; Bear is a dominant mass against the delicate fragility of Bird. Kazemi plays with the art, toying with perspectives by showing a tiny Bear through the trees, or making Bird a realistic blur, delicate lines giving her motion and action in the pictures. Bear and Bird’s friendship is told through one year. It tracks through Bear’s hope and disappointments as he works to sing with Bird, and through Bird’s reluctance, and then embrace of Bear’s efforts. It finishes unexpectedly, a tale of truly supportive friendship.