A bear just wants to be a bear. He just wanted to enjoy his world, scratch against the trees and fish and sleep. But the world is changing, and it’s harder to be a bear. There aren’t as many trees to scratch against. There aren’t as many fish in the lakes, and it’s too noisy to sleep.
So the bear decided that he needs to adapt to this new world. And when he sees a girl who is a friend of the forest, he knows that he has found his teacher.
The girl teaches him to do human things, like how to win a thumb war and how to rock a side ponytail. But despite all this, the bear doesn’t feel like he belongs where the people are. So they go back to the bear’s home.
There, he teaches the girl more about how to be a bear. He shows her how to listen to a sunrise and only eat as many berries as you need, among other things. The more they spend time together, they more they learn about each other’s worlds, the more they decide that the bear should be a bear and the girl should be a girl.
And the girl figures out how to make the bear’s world a little greener.
How to Be Human: A Bear’s Guide is a colorful, whimsical look at what it means to be human and how to make the world better. Author Sophia Kolinas has crafted a lovely story with warmth and compassion, and illustrator Aparna Varma brings the story to life with bright, happy drawings.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s filled with sweetness and heart, and the sweetness of the illustrations underlies the gentle environmentalism that the story focuses on. The two main characters are both smart and caring, making it easy to cheer for them as they try to find their way in a challenging world. I think children and adults will enjoy reading this over and over, and How to Be Human: A Bear’s Guide could inspire the next generation to take care of the Earth in new and creative ways.
Egalleys for How to Be Human: A Bear’s Guide were provided by Owlkids Books through Edelweiss, with many thanks.
