Bear with me

By Kerascoët. Published by Random House. 

Hardcover, 40 pages, Colour, 2023.

An endearing picture book from two New York Times bestselling creators about a little girl who learns to cope when she is asked to leave her beloved stuffed animal at home.

A child’s favorite stuffed animal is a member of the family. This little girl and her bear are no different. The two are inseparable. Bear joins the girl for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and every moment in between. So when the first day of school arrives and Bear can’t come along, the little girl is worried. At first, being in school feels hard, but as the day goes on, the girl finds ways to make herself feel better. This reassuring story, which is accessible and kid-friendly, beautifully captures a child’s use of coping skills to work through her separation anxiety.

From the creators of I Walk with Vanessa, the picture book that Parents magazine named the Best Book of the Year That Champions Kindness, here is a nearly wordless picture book tackling a theme that is sure to be familiar to many parents and their stuffed-animal-loving children. 

★ “The ink and watercolor illustrations, mostly vignettes that both progress the action and detail the child-bear friendship, excel at capturing emotion, personality, and occasionally humor.”
 —The Horn Book, starred review

“A bear-y good choice for storytime.” —Kirkus Reviews

“[The] visual storytelling creates openings for conversations about separation and growth.” —Publishers Weekly