The Bear's Song

Book Review: The Bear's Song by Benjamin Chaud



CITATION

Chaud, Benjamin. The Bear’s Song. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2013. ISBN: 1452114242 

PLOT SUMMARY

As their hibernation begins, Little Bear gets caught up in looking for honey and gets separated from his father. Papa Bear is in search of Little Bear from the forest into a big city, where each page shows another aspect of bustling city life. The bears end up in an opera house, where Papa Bear sings out from the stage a bear’s lullaby to bring his son back. The song scares off everyone in attendance—except Little Bear. The story concludes with the bears hibernating on the roof of the opera house with their honey.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

This book is written by Benjamin Chaud, a French author and illustrator. The words of the story tell a tale about a daddy bear looking for his wandering son, but the illustrations of the book make the story so much more than that. The pages are filled with cartoonish-looking drawings with intricate details that show many actions occurring simultaneously. As children decipher what are in the pictures, they will build on their visual literacy. It is similar to “Where’s Waldo” in that there are many, many, detailed images for the reader to look at. For instance, there is a scene where the two bears are in the crowded streets of a big city, and upon close inspection you can see a kid looking at a bear, a cat peeking through a window, a waiter serving a drink, a lady on a bus watching her phone, and countless other things. The drawings are busy and show lots of life happening, which makes the task of finding Little Bear on each page much like a game. 

Because the author is French, it can be concluded that the “big city” could be Paris, or another French metropolis, where most of the book is set. This is based on the many architectural details of the city and the styles of the people in the story. The reader gets a sense of city life in France especially in the scene that shows the street. The backdrop shows a café, a high-fashion store, people bundled up on their way home with scarves and winter hats. The transportation shown on that page reveals scooters, mopeds, bikes, cars, buses, and people walking—which is characteristic of how Europeans commute. The scenes at the opera house also reveal some cultural markers indicative of France such as ornate architecture and people dressed formally, with tuxedoes and fasteners. These are also details that are consistent with people going to opera house. There are pictures of animals in the opera house, which is not realistic, but they do make the pages fun for children to look it.

A close look at the pictures also reveals insight about the way the culture views gender roles. There is a man tipping his hat at a passing lady, dancers dressed like peacocks, and men setting up the stage and working the heavy lights. The pictures depict a lively culture filled with lots of simultaneous activities and night life. This is also characteristic the French people, who tend to stay up late and start their days later in the day too.

An adult and child sharing this book together will be able to relate to the situation the father and baby bear find themselves in. It is a book that invites participation because children will spend time looking for the bears, and will end up noticing all kinds of fun details on each page. The satisfying ending of the two bears enjoying their honey on top of the opera house creates a lovely visual to end on. The story of a Papa Bear looking for Baby Bear is one that children are sure to enjoy. Who doesn’t like to see a big bear dangling from a chandelier? The moment when a room full of shocked faces are staring at a bear on stage is the high point, but the central theme of a father’s love makes this busy book an excellent read for all. 

REVIEWS AND AWARDS

2014 USBBY Outstanding International Book (OIB) – Grades PreK-2

New York Times Notable Children’s Book

Kirkus Review:

“Eagle-eyed readers can track the bear and bee all the way to Paris from the French countryside, devouring the hundreds of fanciful details that populate each gorgeous, oversized, double-page spread. When Papa Bear wakes up and sees his errant cub is missing, he too dashes off, eventually ending up at the Opéra Garnier and—oo la la!—even finding his voice onstage: “Grooooaaaarrrr!”

New York Times Notable Children’s Book:

"Sweet" has new meaning in this richly illustrated, immersive picture book about two bears on a big-city adventure. Papa Bear is searching for Little Bear, who has escaped the den. Little Bear is following a bee, because where there are bees, there is honey! When the quest leads both bears into the bustling city and a humming opera house, theatrical hijinks ensue, culminating in a deliciously harmonious reunion. Children and parents alike will savor Benjamin Chaud's lush illustrations, and relish in the book's bonus seek-and-find elements. Plus, this is a fixed-format version of the book, which looks nearly identical to the print version.”

CONNECTIONS

A related activity from this book would be to follow up this book with an introduction about Benjamin Chaud found at http://blog.picturebookmakers.com/post/103720520656/benjamin-chaud. Chaud explains how he came up with the idea of the book and the way he illustrated it. He shares his tricks, ideas, and personal insight into how he accomplished it.