How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read

How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read is a cute tale about two strangers and their shared love of books. Julia spends most of her time in the forest, reading and playing with her woodland friends. But something is missing…a bear. Julia, desperate to meet a bear, sets out trying to attract one with offers of snacks she hopes it will like. In the end, however, it’s not a sweet treat that interests the bear after all—it’s one of Julia's books!

At its core, this is a sweet and somewhat silly story about the unexpected ways friends can come together. But while the mood of How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read is unquestionably upbeat, the book does struggle with a few inconsistencies in its tone and plot. One example of this can be seen in Julia's farting contests with Frieda, an inclusion that feels out of place. It's encouraging to see a girl with a wide array of interests. But while Julia's other hobbies (hide-and-seek, climbing trees, and reading) all come into play later on, this particular hobby does not—it serves no purpose to the story and will undoubtedly be off-putting for some readers while making others disappointed the humorous trait isn't featured more prominently.

Likewise, some of the actions performed by the characters in this book don't quite make sense. For instance, Julia tries to entice a bear by leaving honey and blueberries for it to eat. While the honey does nothing, the blueberries do, in fact, attract the bear who then takes Julia's book from where she left it in the forest. Julia later follows the bear’s tracks back to its den and finds that it has fallen asleep while reading. But at this point, instead of knocking on the door or introducing herself, Julia sneaks into the bear's house and tries to take the book back without waking the creature up. Since the point of her efforts was to meet a bear (and make friends with it), this action is strange and makes Julia’s true motive unclear.

These extraneous and confusing elements of the story may make some readers feel disconnected with Julia's quest. However, How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read is ultimately a fun tale about friendship, nature, and a love of reading. Joseph Sherman's illustrations are bright and colourful, and Julia’s world is shown to be a joyous place full of exploration and discovery. For those in search of an outdoorsy summer story or for those interested in tales with reading and friendship themes, How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read will make a nice collection addition.