Bear With Me by Kerascoët

Bear With Me by Kerascoët. Random House Studio, 2023. 9780593307670






Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5



Format: Hardcover picture book



What did you like about the book?  In this charming, touching, and nearly wordless picture book, a baby receives a fuzzy brown bear with a blue bow. In graceful and rounded watercolor vignettes alternating with zoomed in full-page illustrations, she gazes at and then plays with her stuffed friend as she moves into toddlerhood. Bear does become a bit grimy as he’s dragged through the garden and fed peas, which elicits the first howl from our tiny protagonist “Bear with me!” Dad gingerly collects him along with the dirty laundry and together they watch Bear through the washing machine window, her tears giving way to joy once they’re reunited. This foreshadows the first day of school when the girl and her mom set off with Bear left to watch from the window. The girl looks at pictures of bears, draws a bear, and dresses as a bear but also joins in with her new classroom friends. Exuberant to return home, she rushes into the house at the end of the day with a hug for her buddy, and the final phrase: “Bear with me.” A really lovely simple story that many readers and adults will find deeply resonant. The little girl and her parents are White, but her school community features a range of skin and hair colors, with the teacher having very dark brown skin and black hair. The joyful and chaotic morning drop-off especially shows a very diverse group of families.



Anything you didn’t like about it? No



To whom would you recommend this book?  Anyone whose child has an inordinate attachment to one particular stuffie will appreciate this story. With its mostly wordless pages and familiar setting, it’s sure to facilitate discussion with the 3-5 year old set. Definitely a fun book to pair with Knuffle Bunny (Mo Willems).



Who should buy this book? Public libraries



Where would you shelve it? Picture books



Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? No



Reviewer: Susan Harari, Keefe Library, Boston Latin School, Boston, MA



Date of review: July 7, 2023