A Voice for the Spirit Bear: How One Boy Inspired Millions to Save a Rare Animal

This picture book biography shares the true story of Simon Jackson, a Canadian passionate from childhood about bears. Their admirable power became symbolic of his efforts to overcome debilitating stuttering; by becoming a voice for rare spirit bears, he felt he would find greater personal confidence. He began by rallying his classmates to write letters to save bear habitat, founded the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition, was befriended by Jane Goodall and continued to push for protection of the Great Bear Rainforest. He has extended this youthful work into a lifelong career, encouraging others to take up causes for wildlife. Following the picture book version of Jackson’s coming of age targeted to younger readers, a more mature and detailed biographical account is given on the final pages, along with a description of spirit bears and suggestions young readers might consider to make a difference of their own.

The story of a young person’s passion and determination, in spite of any handicap, to make a difference for a cause involving nature is always inspiring and worth knowing, and Jackson’s story is no exception. Here, though, the writing has a direct, telling approach that simply presents the facts, with little escalation of tension to firmly hold reader attention. Because minimal dialogue means few chances to hear Simon’s voice, there’s a lack of energy needed to bring his character to life. As well, the sketchy pencil/ink illustrations in mostly muted tones do not add interesting detail (e.g. every person has similar, basically sketched facial features) or animation (a pair of wavy legs, and hands with sweat drops to show ‘fear’), with the result that figures are stiff and convey little emotion. Background and landscapes are often representations, which leaves a good deal of ‘white space’ or repeated graphics on many pages.

Creating a better world through empathy for nature is fine justification for a book aimed at young readers. Add A Voice for the Spirit Bear to your collection to help maintain the momentum of its crucial message.